1' 


ALLAN   PINKERTON'S 
DETECTIVE  STORIES. 


NEW  BOOKS 

BY  ALLAN  PINKERTON. 

1.  THE  EXPRESSMAN  AND  THE  DETECTIVE,  etc. 

2.  CLAUDE  MELNOTTE  A8  A  DETECTIVE,  etc. 

3.  THE  DETECTIVE  &  THE  SOMNAMBULIST,  etc. 

4.  —THE  MODEL  TOWN  AND  DETECTIVES,  etc. 


These   wonderful  Detective   Stories   by    Allan   Pinkerton 

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FRONTISPIECE. — Walker  declaiming  in  the  back  room.—/.  130. 


THE    MODEL  TOWN 


AND 


THE    DETECTIVES. 


BYRON  AS  A  DETECTIVE. 


BY   ALLAN   PINKERTON, 

AUTHOR    OF 

"THE  EXPRESSMAN  AND  THE  DETECTIVE,"  "  CLAUDE  MELNOTTE 

AS  A  DETECTIVE,"  "THE  DETECTIVE  AND  THE 

SOMNAMBULIST,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


NEW     YORK: 

G.    W.    Carleton    &    Co.,    Publishers. 

LONDON:     S.  LOW   &  CO. 
MDCCCLXXVI. 


COPYRIGHTED,  1876,  BY 
ALLAN   P1NK.ERTOK. 


JOHN  F.  TROW  &  SON, 

PRINTERS  AND  STKREOTYPKRS, 

205-213  East  izth  Street, 

NKW  YORK. 


THE  MODEL  TOWN 


AND 


THE    DETECTIVES 


PREFACE. 


THE  history  of  all  places  which  have  had  a  rapid 
growth  is  full  of  startling  incidents  of  crime.  Par- 
ticularly has  this  been  the  case  in  the  western  country,  where 
the  incoming  population  has  been  of  such  a  mixed  char- 
acter, and  opportunities  for  criminal  deeds  so  numerous,  as 
to  sometimes  create  an  epidemic  of  wrong-doing. 

Almost  every  community  has  known  one  or  more  pe- 
riods when  the  dissolute  elements  of  the  place  have  seemed 
to  be  unusually  active,  and  the  majesty  of  the  law  so  little 
regarded  and  feared  as  to  cause  a  perfect  carnival  of  crime. 
Under  such  circumstances,  the  honest  portion  of  the  popu- 
lation become  bewildered  and  disheartened,  and  the  rogues 
apparently  take  charge  of  affairs,  until  some  sudden  dis- 
covery brings  to  punishment  a  number  of  the  guilty  men, 
and  then  order  returns. 

Such  was  the  experience  of  "The- Model  Town."  It 
was  a  very  pleasant  and  thriving  inland  place,  the  law- 
abiding  people  far  outnumbering  the  law-breakers;  yet 
previous  to  the  time  when  my  services  were  engaged  there 
was  a  period  of  almost  total  disregard  of  law  and  authority 


viii  PREFACE. 

in  the  place.  In  a  few  weeks  my  detectives  were  success- 
ful in  identifying  the  ringleaders  of  all  the  evil-doers  of  the 
town,  and  I  was  able  to  gather  them  in  for  punishment  in 
small  groups,  without  exposing  my  plans  or  alarming  the 
others,  whose  guilt  was  yet  to  be  discovered.  At  length, 
having  effectually  broken  up  all  the  parties  of  thieves, 
counterfeiters,  burglars,  and  incendiaries,  I  left  the  place  to 
enjoy  a  career  of  peace  and  prosperity. 

There  are  many  persons  yet  living  who  will  remember 
the  circumstances  herein  related,  and  they  will  recall  how 
complete  the  reformation  was  worked  by  the  arrest  and 
conviction  of  the  criminals.  From  the  moment  it  was  re- 
vealed that  Pinkerton's  detectives  were  at  work  in  the  town, 
the  orderly  character  of  the  place  was  assured  for  an  indefi- 
nite length  of  time,  and  the  good  effect  lasted  many  years 
after  my  men  had  been  withdrawn. 

As  the  story  of  "  Byron  as  a  Detective  "  may  call  forth 
some  discussion,  I  merely  desire  to  say  that,  concerning  his 
being  the  son  of  Lord  Byron,  I  have  no  means  of  determin- 
ing the  truth  or  falsity  of  the  claim  ;  and  only  give  the 
facts,  which  were  then  common  among  his  associates,  to 
the  public  for  what  they  are  worth.  There  were  doubtless 
hundreds  of  other  men  of  legitimate,  as  well  as  illegitimate, 
birth,  each  one  of  whom  chance  might  have  thrown  into 
habits  of  reckless  adventure  resulting  in  crime,  the  tempera- 
ment and  mental  conditions  of  each  of  whom  might  have 
given  rise  to  the  theory  of  being  Byron's  son,  especially 
when  the  claim  was  so  persistently  put  forward  and  so  com- 
monly accepter*  as  in  this  case. 


PREFACE.  ix 

But  I  will  personally  vouch  for  the  truth  of  this  much  : 
that  Augustus  Stuart  Byron  claimed  that  Lord  Byron  was 
his  father  ;  was  a  man  of  good  learning  and  manners  ;  was 
possessed  of  a  thorough  education  and  more  than  ordinary 
culture  and  refinement ;  was  addicted  to  those  strange 
bursts  of  brilliancy  and  joyousness,  alternating  with  uttei 
despondency  and  savage  moroseness,  which  were  such  a 
distinguishing  affliction  to  the  great  poet,  and,  I  might  also, 
add,  to  his  friends ;  that  he  naturally  drifted  into  the  half- 
literary,  wholly- vagabondish  life  of  the  journeyman  printer ; 
and  that  while  such,  he  was  himself  known  among  the  frater- 
nity as  a  poet  of  no  mean  order.  It  is  also  true,  as  stated, 
that  Byron  had  been  drawn  into  the  society  of  young  Napier 
by  that  natural  affinity,  or  sympathy,  which  brings  the  poor 
or  scalawag,  relatives  of  great  men  together ;  that  they  had 
been  into  the  far  North-west,  to  the  then  wild,  weird,  and 
almost  unknown  Manitoba,  with  its  famous  gipsy-like  Red 
River  trains,  its  gaudy  but  lazy  half-breeds,  and  hardy 
Scotch  and  English  population  of  two  hundred  years'  de- 
scent, and  had  expended  nearly  all  their  means  in  a  series  of 
wild  adventures  ;  that  they  had  left  Chicago  on  the  eastern- 
bound  train,  which  had  been  shattered  with  the  one  that  had 
shot  through  it,  sending  from  the  wrecks  of  both  trains  a 
score  of  passengers  into  eternity  ;  that  the  two  escaped 
unhurt,  and  finding  an  opportunity  to  suddenly  acquire  vast 
wealth,  with  barely  a  chance  of  detection,  had,  in  the  very 
presence  of  death  itself,  committed  their  first  great  crime,  the 
proceeds  of  which  were  almost  as  quickly  wasted  as  gained  ; 
whereupon  the  couple  returned  to  the  locality  of  their  first 
I* 


x  PREFACE. 

successful  exploit,  and  immediately  began  the  perpetration 
of  the  fiendish  outrages  which  followed. 

On  account  of  the  destruction  of  many  of  my  records 
in  the  Great  Chicago  Fire  of  1871,  I  am  without  the 
proof  of  the  identity  of  young  Napier,  but  will  state  that 
I  was  positively  assured  of  his  relationship  to  the  Admiral 
by  another  Napier,  a  well-known  and  highly  respectable 
citizen  of  Chicago,  who,  at  that  time,  resided  at  No.  130 
East  Washington  Street,  in  a  building  erected  by  Alexan- 
der White,  and  who  was  cognizant  of  the  relationship, 
being -himself  a  distant  relative  of  the  Admiral,  and  know- 
ing that  the  nephew's  reputation  was  that  of  a  profligate 
among  the  family. 

The  subsequent  career  of  the  two  men,  and  Byron's  arrest 
and  conviction  before  Judge  Wing  of  Adrian,  Michigan, 
with  the  latter' s  remarks  when  delivering  the  unusual  s£n- 
tence  of  ninety-nine  years'  imprisonment  in  the  Michigan 
Penitentiary ;  Byron's  incarceration  in  that  institution  as 
Augustus  McDonald,  on  September  25th,  1854,  and  his 
final  death  on  the  iyth  of  July,  1857,  a.re  matters  of  record 
with  the  Circuit  Court  papers  of  Lewanee  County,  Michi- 
gan, and  with  the  penitentiajy  records  at  Jackson,  in  that 
State,  as  any  curious  person  or  persons  may  learn  by  ad- 
dressing a  note  of  inquiry  to  the  clerk  of  the  former  or  to 
the  warden  of  the  latter. 

ALLAN  PINKERTON. 

CHICAGO,  March,  1876. 


CONTENTS. 


THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND    THE  DETECTIVES. 

PAGH 

CHAPTER        1 13 

"           II 19 

III " 30 

IV 37 

V 47 

VI 55 

VII 64 

"       VIII 73 

IX 82 

X 87 

XI 100 

"         XII no 

XIII 126 

XIV 145 

XV 152 

BYRON  AS  A    DETECTIVE.    " 

CHAPTER        I .* 163 

II 173 

"          III 181 

"          IV 191 

"                  V 200 

THE  LIFE    OF  A   DETECTIVE. 

CHAPTER        1 215 

"            II 227 

"           III 240 

"           IV 249 

"             V 261 

««         vi : 272 

VII.                                                                                  .  282 


THE  MODEL  TOWN 


AND 


THE    DETECTIVES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

IN  the  year  185 —  I  was  very  busily  engaged  in  the  inves- 
tigation of  several  cases  of  great  importance,  which  not 
only  occupied  nearly  every  minute  of  my  time,  but  also 
caused  me  great  anxiety.  I  was  thus  in  no  mood  to  waste 
precious  moments  in  listening  to  trivial  details  of  the  rob- 
beries of  country  stores  and  dwelling-houses,  and  I  gave  up 
everything  to  my  superintendent  except  the  operations  of 
great  magnitude  which  I  had  then  in  hand.  One  afternoon, 
however,  having  sent  my  superintendent  out  for  a  short 
time,  I  seated  myself  in  his  office  to  receive  visitors  and  re- 
ports. It  was  a  raw  and  stormy  dayin  January,  and  I  did 
not  anticipate  that  I  should  be  called  upon  for  any  new 
business  in  such  weather;  but  my  plans  were  progressing 
quite  satisfactorily  in  the  most  important  matter  in  which 
I  was  interested,  and  I  was  momentarily  expecting  to  re- 
ceive some  valuable  information  ;  hence,  when  i  clerk 
from  the  outer  office  announced  that  a  stranger  wished 


14  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

to  see  me,  I  admitted  him  at  once  to  my  own  private 
office.  To  my  great  disappointment,  the  visitor  was  not 
the  person  whom  I  had  expected,  and  at  the  first  glance  I 
almost  regretted  having  consented  to  see  him.  He  was  evi- 
dently a  farmer  in  good  circumstances,  and  I  feared  that  he 
would  wish  me  to  listen  to  a  long  story  about  some  case  of 
petty  larceny  or  village  scandal.  He  introduced  himself  as 
George  R.  Nichols,  of  Mariola,  Illinois,  and  he  asked  me  to 
spare  him  half  an  hour  of  my  time ;  he  wished  to  engage 
my  services,  and  he  would  need  about  that  length  of  time 
to  state  the  circumstances  which  needed  investigation. 

His  direct,  business-like  style  pleased  me  exceedingly,  and 
I  requested  him  to  proceed  with  his  story.  He  then  stated 
that  Mariola  was  a  thriving  town  not  many  miles  distant 
from  Chicago.  It  was  situated  on  the  line  of  a  new  railroad, 
and  its  growth  had  been  so  rapid  that  it  had  been  incorpo- 
rated as  a  city.  The  surrounding  country  was  thickly  settled 
by  a  population  of  native  Americans,  and  the  greatest  pros- 
perity prevailed.  I  knew  the  city  and  the  vicinity  very  well 
indeed,  so  that  Mr.  Nichols  merely  gave  a  hasty  sketch  of 
it.  He  went  on  to  say  that  there  seemed  to  be  a  gang  of 
sneak-thieves,  burglars,  and  incendiaries  infesting  the  city, 
and  recently  they  had*committed  so  many  crimes  that  none 
of  the  citizens  felt  safe.  Stores  were  frequently  robbed, 
and  goods  of  every  description  were  carried  off :  hardware, 
dry-goods,  groceries,  liquors,  and  even  such  bulky  articles 
as  grain  and  lumber,  were  spirited  away  constantly.  But 
the  worst  crime  had  been  arson,  and  there  could  be  no 
doubt,  Mr.  Nichols  said,  that  at  least  three  instances  of 


THE  DETECTIVES.  15 

incendiarism  had  occurred  :  the  Presbyterian  church,  the 
public  school-house,  and  the  Baptist  church  had  been  de- 
stroyed by  fire  under  circumstances  which  convinced  every 
one  that  they  had  been  intentionally  fired.  In  addition  to 
these  outrages,  various  other  things  had  occurred :  valuable 
horses  and  stock  had  been  stolen,  to  such  an  extent  that  the 
farmers  could  hardly  retain  a  fine  animal  except  by  the  great- 
est precautions  ;  finally,  the  railroad  tracks  had  been  tam- 
pered with  for  the  purpose  of  wrecking  and  plundering  the 
cars ;  one  attempt  had  proved  successful,  while  several  others 
had  been  discovered  just  in  time  to  prevent  serious  accidents. 
Mr.  Nichols  begged  me  to  go  back  to  Mariola  with  him 
in  order  to  detect  the  criminals  who  were  destroying 
the  peace  and  prosperity  of  the  city  and  the  adjacent  coun- 
try. He  said  that  he  had  been  appointed  to  convey  this 
request  to  me  from  a  committee  of  the  best  citizens  of  Mari- 
ola. The  damages  to  private  property  had  been  so  exten- 
sive as  to  alarm  them  very  seriously  ;  but  the  attacks  upon 
the  railroad  had  developed  a  still  worse  state  of  affairs. 
The  officers  of  the  railroad  company  whose  tracks  passed 
through  Mariola  were  not  wholly  satisfied  with  the  direction 
of  the  road  at  that  point,  since  a  considerable  detour  from 
the  straight  course  of  the  road  had  been  necessary  to  carry 
the  tracks  through  the  city.  Still,  the  city  was  growing  rap- 
idly, and  the  company  obtained  enough  business  therefrom 
to  make  it  profitable  to  allow  the  line  to  remain  as  it  was  ; 
but  since  these  repeated  attacks  upon  the  railroad  trains, 
the  company's  officers  had  seriously  contemplated  a  removal 
of  the  tracks  through  Mariola.  They  could  thus  save  abou* 


10  THE  MODEL, .TOWN  AND 

five  miles,  by  straightening  the  line,  while  they  hoped,  also, 
to  escape  the  annoyances  and  outrages  to  which  their  trains( 
were  liable  in  that  vicinity. 

Of  course,  any  such  change  would  be  most  disastrous  to 
the  future  prosperity  of  the  city,  and  the  citizens  were 
determined  to  prevent  the  removal  if  possible.  To  this  end 
it  would  be  necessary  to  protect  the  railroad  company  from 
further  loss  and  annoyance,  which  could  be  accomplished 
only  by  capturing  the  men  engaged  in  the  attacks.  Mr. 
Nichols  said  further  that  the  citizens  had  exhausted  all  their 
ingenuity  in  trying  to  discover  the  offenders,  but  no  clue 
whatever  had  been  obtained. 

It  was  the  prevalent  opinion  in  Mariola  that  a  "gang"  or 
society  of  desperate  criminals  existed  in  and  about  the  city, 
who  were  sworn  to  act  in  concert  and  to  create  a  reign  of 
terror  in  the  county.  The  respectable  portion  of  the  com- 
munity were  in  such  a  state  of  alarm  that  no  one  felt  safe, 
and  the  value  of  all  property  was  becoming  seriously 
affected.  Mr.  Nichols,  therefore,  begged  me  to  undertake 
the  dispersion  of  this  gang  of  villains,  since  the  matter  was 
too  important  to  admit  any  further  delay. 

I  asked  Mr.  Nichols  to  give  me  until  six  o'clock,  as  I  was 
very  busy.  He  then  went  away,  and  I  sat  down  to  think 
about  the  facts  of  his  story.  Ny  first  impulse  was  to 
decline  to  undertake  the  investigation,  owing  to  the  pressure 
of  other  more  important  work.  On  second  thoughts,  how 
ever,  I  saw  several  reasons  why  it  would  be  well  for  me  to 
give  my  services  to  aid  the  citizens  of  Mariola  in  restoring 
peace  and  safety  to  their  homes.  Moreover,  one  of  the 


THE  DETECTIVES.  17 

great  cases  on  which  I  was  engaged  terminated  suddenly 
that  afternoon  in  the  arrest  of  the  criminals  and  the  recov- 
ery of  a  large  amount  of  property.  This  left  me  somewhat 
more  free  than  I  had  been  previously,  and  I  decided  to 
proceed  to  Mariola  myself. 

I  was  influenced  to  make  this  decision  by  two  things  :  in 
the  first  place,  I  saw  that  the  loss  of  confidence  on  the  part 
of  the  law-abiding  citizens  would  greatly  encourage  crime, 
and  that  the  actual  deterioration  in  the  value  of  property 
would  be  very  great;  secondly,  I  wished  to  explode  the 
theory  that  there  was  any  organized  body  of  men  at  work 
committing  the  depredations. 

It  often  happens,  especially  in  a  newly-settled  community, 
that  there  are  a  number  of  crimes  committed  in  quick  suc- 
cession, in  such  a  manner  as  to  lead  honest  people  to  think 
an  organized  band  has  settled  down  to  plunder  the  neigh- 
borhood. The  same  thing  is  often  stated  of  large  cities, 
and  many  people  believe  that  all  criminals  are  united  in  a 
league  against  the  rest  of  the  world ;  that  they  have  pass- 
words, officers,  regular  lodges,  and  degrees  of  crime,  in  the 
same  manner  as  any  other  secret  society.  This  idea  has 
been  carefully  cultivated  by  some  writers  of  fiction  for  the 
purpose  of  adding  color,  life,  and  romantic  interest  to  their 
tales  ;  but  the  real  facts,  in  an  experience  of  over  a  quarter 
of  a  century,  warrant  me  in  saying  that  no  such  organiza- 
tion has  ever  existed.  In  the  nature  of  things,  it  is  an 
impossibility.  Criminals,  as  a  rule,  are  selfish,  cowardly, 
and  revengeful :  no  great  number  of  them  could  ever 
remain  members  of  such  a  society  for  any  length  of  time. 


18  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

The  first  one  caught  in  a  serious  difficulty  would  gladly 
save  himself  at  the  expense  of  all  the  rest  by  turning  State's 
evidence  ;  the  sentiment  of  "  honor  among  thieves"  has  no 
existence  in  fact.  Besides,  crime  is  essentially  solitary  in 
its  tendencies,  and  it  is  never  desirous  of  having  any  more 
participants  in  its  secrets  than  are  absolutely  necessary  to 
carry  out  its  plans.  Hence,  though  a  few  burglars,  bank- 
robbers,  or  counterfeiters  may  temporarily  unite  in  the 
execution  of  some  scheme,  their  union  is  never  perma- 
nent, nor  do  they  regard  each  other  as  partners  except  for 
the  time  required  to  perform  their  work. 

There  is  an  expression  common  in  England  to  denote  the 
more  intelligent  criminals,  such  as  forgers,  counterfeiters, 
burglars,  etc.:  they  are  called  the  "  swell-mob,"  and  the 
name  is  somewhat  in  use  in  the  United  States  ;  but  the  idea 
conveyed  is  wholly  an  incorrect  one.  Perhaps  it  is  partly 
due  to  this  appellation  that  many  people  have  imbibed  the 
opinion  that  all  criminals  act  in  unison  ;  that  they  con- 
tribute money  to  defend  those  who  may  be  arrested  ;  that 
they  manufacture  evidence  to  assist  each  other ;  and,  in 
short,  that  they  invariably  cling  together  at  all  times. 

As  I  saw  that  Mr.  Nichols  and  the  other  members  of  the 
committee  of  citizens  at  Mariola  were  laboring  under  this 
delusion,  I  thought  best  to  detect  the  perpetrators  of  the 
outrages  there,  and  to  show  them  how  little  reason  they 
had  to  fear  the  presence  of  any  organization  of  villains. 


CHAPTER   II. 

WHEN  Mr.  Nichols  returned  I  told  him  that  I  would 
undertake  to  clear  the  town  of  its  active  scoundrels, 
on  condition  that  I  should  be  allowed  to  work  in  my  own 
way  without  interference  by  any  one,  and  that  my  instruc- 
tions be  obeyed  implicitly.  Mr.  Nichols  agreed  to  my  con- 
ditions on  behalf  of  the  committee,  and  we  then  settled  the 
pecuniary  portion  of  our  agreement. 

The  first  direction  I  gave  to  Mr.  Nichols  was  that  my  con- 
nection with- the  work  should  be  kept  secret. 

"But,  Mr.  Pinkerton,  what  am  I  to  tell  the  committee?'* 
asked  Mr.  Nichols. 

"Tell  them  that  I  was  too  busy  to  come,"  I  replied.  "  I  do 
not  wish  to  have  anything  to  do  with  a  large  committee. 
There  must  be  only  two  men  to  manage  the  affair  on  the  part 
of  the  townspeople,  and  they  must  be  men  above  the  possibil- 
ity of  suspicion.  I  will  go  to  Mariola  the  first  day  that  I  have 
leisure,  and  I  will  meet  the  two  persons  who  are  to  have 
charge  of  the  case,  in  my  room  at  the  hotel.  I  shall  travel 
under  a  false  name,  and  no  one  must  know  of  my  visit  ex- 
cept those  two.  You  must  write  to  me  immediately  on  youi 
return,  stating  the  names  of  the  gentlemen  who  are  to  meet 
me." 

"  Had  you  not  better  give  me  a  letter  to  the  committee  ?  " 
he  asked. 


20  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

"  No ;  the  less  communication  I  have  with  them  the 
better.  The  number  is  too  large  :  some  of  them  would  be 
sure  to  let  out  that  they  had  been  in  correspondence  with 
a  detective  agency.  Then  my  difficulties  would  be  greatly 
increased." 

"  Well,  it  shall  be  as  you  wish,  Mr.  Pinkerton  ;  I  have  no 
doubt  you  understand  the  matter  better  than  I  do.  When 
shall  you  come  out  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  say  exactly.  You  must  write  to  me  the  names 
of  the  managers,  and  when  I  am  ready  to  come,  I  will  drop 
a  note  to  them,  giving  my  assumed  name  and  the  time  I 
shall  arrive  in  Mariola.  Then  the  two  gentlemen  must  come 
straight  to  the  hotel  to  see  me." 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Pinkerton ;  I  hope  you  will  come  soon, 
for  we  do  not  know  how  soon  another  fire  or  railroad  acci- 
dent may  happen." 

"  You  will  hear  from  me  very  soon,"  I  replied ;  "  good  day, 
Mr.  Nichols." 

Mr.  Nichols  immediately  returned  home,  and  in  a  day  or 
two  I  received  a  note  stating  that  Mr.  Lincoln  and  Mr. 
Brown  would  be  the  persons  whom  I  should  meet.  As  I 
would  be  at  liberty  to  go  the  third  day  following,  I  replied 
in  a  note  fixing  the  time,  and  on  that  day  I  went  to  Mariola 
dressed  as  a  farmer. 

The  city  was  a  very  neat-looking  place,  having  a  popula- 
tion of  about  three  thousand  people.  It  contained  two 
banks,  one  church  edifice — the  other  two  having  been 
burned — a  substantial  railroad  depot,  and  a  large  grain  ele- 
vator. The  citizens  were  generally  of  the  more  respectable 


THE  DETECTIVES.  21 

class  of  society,  and  the  appearance  of  the  town  was  evi- 
dence of  a  high  state  of  thrift  and  prosperity.  The  grain  ele- 
vator was  an  important  advantage  to  the  place,  since  it  drew 
trade  from  great  distances.  The  fanners  of  the  surrounding 
country  knew  that  they  could  get  the  highest  prices  at  the 
elevator  for  their  grain,  and  they  therefore  preferred  to 
trade  at  Mariola,  even  when  they  lived  nearer  to  other 
towns. 

I  went  to  the  Mariola  House  on  my  arrival,  and  I  soon 
received  a  visit  from  Messrs.  Lincoln  and  Brown.  They 
first  gave  me  a  brief  account  of  the  various  outrages  which 
had  caused  them  to  send  for  me.  About  two  years  pre- 
vious the  people  had  begun  to  be  troubled  by  the  loss  of 
small  articles,  such  as  tools,  clothing,  poultry,  and  vegeta- 
bles ;  then  the  store-keepers  became  the  victims,  and  the 
thefts  increased  in  value  and  frequency  ;  these  were  followed 
by  burglaries  to  the  extent  of  several  thousand  dollars  in  the 
aggregate  ;  a  railroad  train  was  thrown  from  the  track  and 
robbed  about  six  months  before,  and  almost  immediately 
thereafter  the  Baptist  church  was  set  on  fire.  These  great 
crimes  drew  attention  from  the  smaller  ones,  though  the 
petty  tkefts  had  grown  so  frequent  that  they  alone  would  have 
created  great  excitement  if  more  serious  matters  had  not 
occupied  people's  minds.  The  Presbyterians  soon  sustained 
the  same  loss  as  that  which  had  befallen  their  Baptist  breth- 
ren, and,  as  before,  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  the  fire  had 
been  lighted  by  an  incendiary.  These  two  fires  had  roused 
the  people  to  a  keen  sense  of  danger,  since  there  was  no 
apparent  object  to  be  gained  bv  the  incendiaries ;  the 


22  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

chinches  contained  nothing  worth  stealing,  so  that  no 
plunder  could  be  obtained  by  firing  them  ;  hence,  the  only 
reasonable  theory  was,  that  a  spirit  of  pure  malevolence — 
or  possibly  revenge — had  actuated  the  criminals.  About  six 
weeks  previous  to  my  visit,  the  public-school  building  had 

• 

also  been  destroyed  by  fire,  and  this  crowning  outrage  was 
too  much  for  the  endurance  of  the  community.  A  public 
meeting  was  called  and  a  vigilance  committee  appointed. 
The  members  were  the  most  active,  intelligent,  and  respect- 
able men  in  the  city;  they  were  watchful  and  attentive  at 
all  times,  some  of  them  being  on  the  alert  every  night ;  but, 
in  spite  of  their  care,  they  could  not  prevent  the  thieves 
from  carrying  off  a  great  deal  of  property  from  dwelling- 
houses  and  stores.  They  finally  sent  Mr.  Nichols  to  Chicago 
with  instructions  to  obtain  my  assistance  in  discovering  the 
ringleaders  and  officers  of  the  "gang"  who,  as  they  be- 
lieved, were  banded  together  to  destroy  Mariola. 

The  story,  as  above  given,  convinced  me  that  there 
must  be  some  reason  for  the  wanton  destruction  of  property  : 
the  object  of  the  railroad  robbers  and  burglars  was,  of 
course,  to  enrich  themselves  without  labor ;  but  I  felt 
sure  that  the  incendiaries,  also,  had  some  object  which  had 
escaped  the  notice  of  the  committee.  In  the  course  of  our 
conversation  I  learned  that  there  had  been  considerable 
discussion  during  the  last  year  upon  the  question  whether 
liquor-selling  should  be  permitted  in  the  city.  A  revival  in 
religion  had  taken  place,  and  the  advocates  of  total  absti- 
nence had  made  a  great  effort  to  obtain  the  passage  of  an 
ordinance  forbidding  the  sale  of  spirituous  liquors  within 


THE  DETECTIVES.  23 

the  city  limits.  Of  course,  there  had  been  a  bitter  fight, 
and  the  result  had  dissatisfied  both  parties  :  the  council  had 
tried  to  conciliate  the  liquor  interest  by  permitting  the  sale 
of  liquor  under  license ;  on  the  other  hand,  they  had  hoped 
to  please  the  teetotallers  by  putting  the  price  of  licenses  at  a 
very  high  rate.  The  result  was  that  neither  party  was  satis- 
fied, and  the  ill  feeling  was  deepened.  It  was  possible  that 
either  of  these  parties  was  guilty  :  the  supporters  of  the 
saloons  might  have  become  so  enraged  at  the  church  peo- 
ple who  opposed  the  liquor  traffic  as  to  cause  them  to  resort 
to  fire  as  a  means  of  revenge  ;  on  the  other  hand,  some 
fanatical  temperance  advocate  might  have  burned  the 
churches  and  school-house  on  purpose  to  cast  suspicion  on 
the  other  party. 

There  were  a  number  of  saloons  in  proportion  to  the 
population,  and  each  of  the  hotels  kept  a  bar-room.  Mr. 
Lincoln  said  that  there  were  no  suspicious-looking  charac- 
ters in  town,  so  far  as  the  committee  could  discover,  though 
there  were  a  good  many  loafers  idling  about,  without  any 
regular  trade  or  occupation.  Several  persons  had  been 
suspected  of  complicity  in  the  smaller  crimes,  but  no  proof 
could  be  obtained  of  their  guilt.  As  a  rule,  the  loafers 
were  so  lazy  that  the  criminals  could  hardly  be  among  their 
ranks,  since  the  losses  had  been  too  great  to  have  been 
caused  by  any  but  an  active,  hard-working  set  of  thieves. 

Having  learned  all  that  my  visitors  could  tell  me,  I  made 
arrangements  which  would  enable  them  to  correspond  with 
me  unknown  ro  any  other  person,  by  giving  them  a  fictitious 
name  and  address  in  Chicago.  I  then  cautioned  them  that 


24  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

they  must  not  allow  any  person  to  know  that  I  had  under- 
taken the  investigation,  and  that  they  must  be  careful  to 
follow  my  instructions  implicitly.  They  promised  to  obey 
me  in  everything,  and,  as  it  was  then  very  late,  they  went 
home. 

The  next  morning  I  made  a  tour  of  the  city,  and  lounged 
about  like  a  well-to-do  farmer  examining  the  place.  The 
Mariola  House  was  the  only  public  hotel  of  any  size,  but 
there  were  two  other  taverns  which  did  a  fair  business. 
One  was  called  the  Tremont  House,  and  the  other  the 
Globe  Hotel. 

The  latter  was  kept  by  a  man  named  Wolff,  who  had  no 
family.  He  was  about  fifty  years  of  age,  rather  corpulent, 
and  red  in  the  face.  His  eyes,  deeply  set  beneath  shaggy 
eyebrows,  were  restless  and  wicked ;  his  nose  was  large  and 
discolored  by  the  excessive  use  of  liquor ;  he  wore  full 
beard,  whiskers,  and  mustache,  which  gave  his  face  a  better 
appearance  than  would  have  been  the  case  had  his  large 
mouth  and  heavy  lower  jaw  been  visible.  Still,  he  had  a 
very  repulsive  expression,  and  I  judged  that  he  would  not 
be  very  scrupulous  if  he  should  be  strongly  tempted  to  be 
otherwise.  He  had  a  housekeeper  to  attend  to  the  domes- 
tic affairs  of  the  hotel,  and  I  soon  learned  that  people  sus- 
pected him  of  taking  a  warmer  interest  in  this  fine-looking 
housekeeper  than  was  consistent  with  strict  propriety.  She 
was  about  forty  years  of  age,  but  she  did  not  seem  to  be 
above  thirty.  Wolff  had  no  bar-keeper,  hostler,  nor  porter, 
preferring  to  attend  to  all  the  work  himself.  There  was 
but  one  servant,  a  stupid  German  girl  who  could  speak  very 


THE  DETECTIVES.  25 

little  English.  The  house  was  well  kept,  however,  and  it 
was  also  well  patronized ;  in-  fact,  Wolff  was  making 
money  fast,  as  his  expenses  were  very  light.  He  paid  cash 
for  everything,  and  never  interfered  in  the  affairs  of  any 
one  else  :  hence,  he  was  favorably  regarded  by  many  of  the 
best  people  in  Mariola.  There  were  some  things  about  the 
Wolff  House  which  seemed  to  me  scarcely  consistent  with  a 
legitimate  hotel  business,  and  I  made  a  note  of  the  informa- 
tion I  had  gained,  for  future  reference. 

The  Tremont  House  was  not  a  hotel,  but  rather  a  large 
boarding-house  with  a  bar-room  attached.  It  was  very  dirty, 
and  seemed  to  be  doing  only  a  moderate  business.  The 
proprietor  and  his  wife  were  equally  lazy  and  careless,  so 
that  I  readily  understood  the  cause  of  their  lack  of  pros- 
perity. The  boarders  were  generally  laboring  men,  and 
there  was  nothing  worthy  of  notice  about  any  of  them. 

I  made  a  general  survey  of  all  the  business  houses,  and 
took  notes  of  the  state  of  affairs.  They  all  seemed  to  be 
doing  well,  but  I  saw  that  the  door-fastenings  were  very 
slight,  and  that  many  of  the  stores  could  be  entered  by  a 
thief  without  any  trouble.  As  I  strolled  into  a  watch- 
maker's shop,  I  saw  a  man  there  whom  I  had  previously 
seen  in  confidential  conversation  with  Wolff.  There  was 
another  jewelry  shop  in  t^ie  place,  which  seemed  to  be  well 
patronized,  but  the  one  which  I  entered  contained  no 
jewelry  and  only  a  work-bench  with  a  watch-maker's  tools. 
The  proprietor's  name  was  Davis,  and  he  sat  lazily  in  his 
shop  doing  nothing  and  looking  half-asleep.  I  sauntered  in 
and  asked  him  what  he  would  charge  to  clean  my  watch. 


26  THE  MODEL   TOWN  AND 

He  opened  it  carelessly,  looked  at  the  works,  and  fixed  an 
exorbitant  charge  upon  it.  The  watch  was  in  first-rate  con- 
dition, and  the  work  would  not  have  taken  an  hour ;  hence 
it  was  evident  that  he  did  not  wish  to  do  the  job.  Davis 
was  a  villainous-looking  fellow,  and  my  object  in  entering 
his  store  was  to  obtain  a  good  look  at  him  and  his  surround- 
ings ;  I  felt  a  natural  distrust  of  him,  due  to  his  appearance, 
and  this  feeling  was  augmented  by  the  fact  that  he  seemed 
intimate  with  Wolff. 

Amongst  the  restaurants  was  one  kept  by  a  man  named 
Reuben  Walker,  and  I  visited  it  because  I  saw  that  it  was  a 
resort  for  some  of  the  worst  characters  in  Mariola.  The 
proprietor  himself  was  a  tall,  grizzled  old  man,  over  sixty 
years  of  age.  His  head  showed  a  great  deal  of  strength  of 
character,  and  he  impressed  me  at  the  first  glance  as  a  man 
of  more  than  the  average  natural  ability.  His  nose  was 
long  and  straight ;  his  eyes  were  a  piercing  gray ;  his  mouth 
was  large  and  his  lips  thin  ;  he  wore  a  straggling  beard,  but 
no  whiskers  nor  mustache ;  and  his  long  gray  hairs  strag- 
gled about  his  neck,  falling  from  a  close-fitting  cap  of  dirty 
velvet,  which  he  wore  constantly.  He  kept  his  own  bar, 
but  the  restaurant  was  under  the  superintendence  of 
Mrs.  Maxwell ;  the  latter  did  not  live  in  the  restaurant,  but 
spent  the  day  there  and  went  home  in  the  evening.  I  took 
a  drink  at  Walker's  bar  and  invited  him  to  join  me,  hoping  to 
draw  him  out ;  but,  though  he  was  willing  to  drink  with  me, 
he  would  not  talk  very  much,  and  I  soon  went  out. 

Having  made  a  complete  examination  of  the  town,  I  had 
another  long  talk  with  Messrs.  Lincoln  and  Brown.  I  asked 


THE  DETECTIVES.  27 

a  great  number  of  questions,  and  learned  all  that  they  could 
tell  me  about  the  various  people  and  places  noticed  by  me 
during  the  day.  I  then  told  them  that  I  would  commence 
operations  in  three  or  four  days,  and  that  I  would  give  them, 
from  time  to  time,  such  information  as  would  satisfy  them 
that  I  was  represented  in  Mariola  by  skilful  subordinates  ; 
but  they  need  not  expect  to  know  who  my  detectives  were, 
since  I  should  never  allow  any  one  to  be  aware  of  their 
presence. 

Mr.  Brown  thought  that  secrecy  was  very  desirable,  but 
that  there  could  be  no  harm  in  letting  the  detectives  apply 
to  him  and  Mr.  Lincoln  for  directions  and  assistance. 

I  replied  that  my  men  could  take  instructions  from  no  one 
but  myself,  and  that  they  would  need  no  assistance  except 
such  as  they  could  obtain  from  each  other.  If  it  should  be- 
come necessary  to  make  any  arrests,  my  men  would  inform 
me,  and  I  would  instantly  send  word  to  Mr.  Lincoln. 

"  Then  we  shall  be  wholly  in  the  dark  as  to  your  move- 
ments ?  "  said  Mr.  Brown. 

"Yes,  gentlemen  ;  that  is  the  only  condition  upon  which 
I  can  consent  to  proceed." 

"Veiywell,  Mr.  Pinkcrton,"  said  Mr.  Lincoln,  after  a  few 
minutes'  private  consultation  with  Mr.  Brown  ;  "  we  shall  be 
satisfied  to  leave  the  matter  in  your  hands,  and  you  can  use 
your  own  judgment  as  to  the  means  of  discovering  the 
'  gang '  of  criminals  in  and  about  our  city." 

Having  made  all  the  arrangements  necessary,  I  returned 
to  Chicago  and  sent  for  two  of  my  men.  Paul  Clark,  the 
elder  of  the  t\vo:  was  about  forty  years  of  age  ;  he  was  a  very 


28  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

agreeable  man  in  conversation,  though  he  had  also  great 
tact,  and  few  men  could  talk  more,  and  say  less,  on  a  given 
subject  when  it  was  to  his  interest  to  be  uncommunicative. 
Robert  Hays  was  about  thirty  years  old,  but  he  appeared 
to  be  hardly  twenty-five.  He  seemed  to  be  constitutionally 
lazy,  and  his  manner  of  speaking  confirmed  the  impression  ; 
as  he  drawled  out  his  words,  with  his  eyes  half  open,  he 
always  gave  strangers  an  idea  that  he  was  on  the  point  of 
falling  asleep.  He  had  formerly  been  a  bar-keeper,  and,  in 
spite  of  his  apparent  laziness,  he  was  a  thorough  master  of 
the  work.  He  was  an  adroit  card-player,  also,  and  he  knew 
every  gambling  game  in  existence,  so  that  I  felt  sure  that  he 
would  be  popular  among  the  drinking  men  and  gamblers  of 
Mariola. 

I  first  gave  them  a  brief  account  of  the  condition  of  affairs 
in  Mariola,  and  recited  the  events  which  had  led  to  my  con- 
nection with  the  case  ;  I  further  gave  them  copies  of  the 
notes  which  I  had  made  in  my  tour  through  the  town.  I 
then  instructed  Hays  to  get  employment  in  his  old  trade,  if 
possible,  and  to  make  the  intimate  acquaintance  of  all  the 
bad  characters  in  the  town.  I  suggested  that  the  Tremont 
House  would  be  a  good  place  for  him  to  board,  since  it  was 
surrounded  by  a  number  of  saloons,  and  it  would,  therefore, 
be  a  convenient  point  to  start  from.  I  told  Clark  that  I 
suspected  Wolff's  tavern  of  being  the  rendezvous  of  a  dan- 
gerous lot  of  men,  and  that  he  must  devote  himself  to  Mr. 
Wolft",  his  hotel,  and  his  visitors.  For  this  purpose  it  would 
be  well  to  take  permanent  board  there,  and  endeavor  to  win 
the  confidence  of  the  proprietor. 


THE  DETECTIVES.  29 

Having  made  all  necessary  preparations,  my  men  departed 
by  different  routes  for  Mariola.  Neither  of  them  went 
straight  there,  but  one  entered  on  foot  from  the  north,  while 
the  other  worked  his  passage  on  a  cattle  train  from  the 
south-west.  They  were  both  dressed  meanly  and  had 
scarcely  any  money,  so  that  their  first  necessity  was  to  find 
a  cheap  place  to  board.  Following  my  instructions,  Hays 
found  accommodations  at  the  Tremont  House,  where  he  was 
able  to  pay  his  way  in  part  by  assisting  the  bar-keeper, 
while  Clark  took  up  his  quarters  at  the  Globe  Hotel. 

The  occurrences  at  Mariola  were  now  reported  to  me 
daily  with  great  minuteness  ;  nothing  escaped  the  notice  of 
my  men,  and  every  incident  was  mentioned  with  the  strictest 
accuracy.  The  story  as  told  in  the  succeeding  pages  was 
brought  out  little  by  little  each  day ;  but,  for  obvious  reasons, 
in  giving  the  history  of  the  investigation,  it  has  been  neces- 
sary to  depart  somewhat  from  the  exact  order  in  which  each 
discovery  was  made.  Hence,  it  will  be  understood  that 
many  of  these  events  occurred  simultaneously,  and  were 
instantly  reported  to  me ;  but,  for  convenience,  I  have  re- 
lated the  operations  of  each  detective  continuously  in  every 
distinct  <  ase. 


CHAPTER  III. 

HAYS  soon  became  well  acquainted  in  many  of  the 
saloons,  and  he  was  regarded  by  the  "  knowing 
ones  "  among  the  drinking  and  gambling  fraternity  as  a  great 
addition  to  their  society.  He  sang  a  good  song,  smoked 
and  drank  sociably,  and  was  so  expert  at  cards  as  to  be  a 
dangerous  opponent  in  gambling  games.  In  fact,  he  was 
able  to  hold  his  own  with  the  hardest  characters  in  town. 
He  became  a  regular  visitor  at  Walker's  restaurant,  where 
most  of  the  small  gambling  was  done,  and  the  old  man  soon 
showed  a  marked  liking  for  him.  Hays  always  preferred  to 
play  for  "  drinks  for  the  crowd,"  instead  of  for  money,  and 
this  fact  made  him  especially  popular  with  Walker,  since  he 
was  sure  to  profit  by  the  game  no  matter  who  won  or  lost. 

On  the  Saturday  following  Hays'  arrival,  Walker  called 
him  up  to  the  bar  and  introduced  him  to  a  friend  named 
Ben  Leitz,  whom  he  characterized  as  the  best  man  in  Colum- 
bia County ;  as  Walker  rarely  praised  any  one,  Hays  felt 
sure  that  these  two  old  men  must  be  on  the  most  intimate 
terms,  and  he  felt  highly  pleased  that  Walker  should  have 
done  him  the  honor  to  give  him  an  introduction  to  his 
crony.  In  talking  together,  Walker  said  : 

"  Leitz  is  a  man  you  can  depend  upon  ;  his  word  is  as 
good  as  his  bond,  and  I  do  not  want  a  better  friend.  1 


THE  DETECTIVES.  31 

have  taken  a  fancy  to  you,  Hays,  and  I  want  you  and  Leitz 
to  know  each  other." 

Hays  returned  his  acknowledgments  modestly,  and  asked 
them  both  to  drink.  After  some  further  conversation  Walker 
asked  him  to  tend  bar  awhile,  as  he  and  Leitz  had  some 
private  matters  which  they  wished  to  discuss.  Hays  will- 
ingly consented,  and  the  two  elder  men  went  up-stairs. 
After  they  had  gone,  he  commenced  clearing  up  the  bar 
and  the  lunch  counter,  and  he  made  such  an  improvement 
in  the  appearance  of  the  place  that  Walker  was  quite  aston- 
ished on  his  return.  He  expressed  his  gratification  at  the 
change  which  Hays  had  made,  and  his  good  opinion  of  that 
gentleman  was  evidently  much  increased.  The  weather  was 
bitterly  cold,  and  many  customers  required  attention  both  at 
the  bar  and  the  dinner-table,  so  that  Hays  remained  as  bar- 
keeper for  some  time,  while  Walker  and  Mrs.  Maxwell  at- 
tended the  table.  When  the  customers  had  finished  dinner, 
Hays  sat  down  with  Walker,  Leitz,  and  Mrs.  Maxwell ;  during 
their  meal  Walker  was  in  very  high  spirits,  and  Lietz  also. 
The  latter  seemed  quite  as  much  pleased  with  Hays  as 
Walker  was,  and  the  whole  party,  it  seemed,  were  disposed 
to  treat  the  new-comer  like  an  old  friend.  It  was  evident 
from  Walker's  manner  that  the  business  which  he  and  Leitz 
had  transacted  was  mutually  satisfactory  to  them. 

After  dinner  Hays  said  that  he  must  return  to  the  Tre- 
mont  House,  as  he  had  promised  to  help  the  bar-keeper 
there  that  afternoon.  As  he  turned  to  go,  he  said  : 

"  Do  you  keep  open  Sundays,  Mr.  Walker  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  I  allow  my  customers  to  come  in  any  time,  if  they 


32  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

are  the  right  sort  The  fanners  have  a  habit  of  dropping  in 
before  and  after  church.  They  like  to  slip  off  quietly 
to  take  a  sly  nip,  as  it  inspires  them  with  great  zeal  in 
their  attacks  upon  the  whiskey  dealers.  I  know  those  to 
whom  I  can  sell  with  safety ;  you  can  come  any  time, 
day  or  night,  but  I  won't  sell  you  anything — you  can  have 
all  you  want  free.  I  am  a  good  judge  of  men,  and  I  know 
you  are  a  man  I  can  trust." 

Hays  thanked  him  and  said  that  he  should  try  to  show 
that  he  could  be  trusted. 

"  I  am  a  young  man,"  he  added,  "  but  I  know  a  thing  or 
two  worth  knowing  •  and  if  you  ever  want  a  fellow  who  ain't 
afraid  of  the  devil  himself,  just  call  on  me ;  I'm  your  man 
every  time." 

"  That's  the  sort  I  like,"  said  Walker  with  a  satisfied 
nod.  "  Hello,  Bill  Morgan,"  he  went  on,  as  a  man  entered 
the  saloon,  "  come  here  and  join  us." 

Morgan  was  a  middle-aged  man  of  low  habits  and  lazy 
disposition  ;  it  was  easily  seen  that  he  would  never  have  the 
ability  to  plan  a  scheme  of  any  importance,  though  he  would 
serve  well  enough  as  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  a  leader  of 
strong  will  and  nerve.  From  the  way  in  which  Walker  first 
addressed  Morgan,  Hays  knew  that  they  were  on  familiar 
terms ;  but  he  also  noticed  a  slight  tinge  of  contempt  in  the 
old  man's  tone,  which  implied  a  lack  of  equality  between 
them.  Hays  and  Morgan  were  introduced  to  each  other, 
and  after  drinking  together  they  stood  and  talked  to 
Walker  and  Leitz  for  some  time.  Although  nothing  of  any 
consequence  was  said,  Hays  learned  enough  of  the  charac- 


THE  DETECTIVES.  33 

ters  of  his  three  companions  to  know  that  they  all  had  strong 
prejudices  against  working,  and  that  they  would  allow  no  petty 
scruples  to  prevent  them  from  obtaining  money  dishonestly 
if  the  opportunity  were  given  them.  Hays  knew  better  than 
to  outstay  his  welcome,  and  he  preferred  that  Walker  and 
his  friends  should  show  a  partiality  for  his  society,  rather 
than  that  he  should  appear  anxious  to  have  theirs,  hence 
he  withdrew  to  keep  his  engagement  at  the  Tremont  House, 
although  Walker  was  very  desirous  that  he  should  remain. 

Clark,  on  his  arrival  in  Mariola,  idled  about  for  half  a  day, 
hoping  to  meet  Wolff  somewhere  about  town.  He  knew 
that  he  would  have  no  difficulty  in  recognizing  his  man,  and 
his  intention  was  to  get  into  conversation  with  him  casually, 
during  which  he  would  give  Wolff  the  impression  that  he  had 
reasons  for  wishing  to  remain  in  Mariola  for  a  time  ;  then  he 
would  ask  for  some  quiet  place  to  board,  where  people 
minded  their  own  business  ;  if  Wolff  asked  him  to  come  to 
the  Globe  Hotel,  he  would  have  no  difficulty  in  settling 
there  as  a  permanent  boarder.  Late  in  the  afternoon  he  was 
successful ;  he  saw  Wolff  trying  to  roll  a  barrel  of  whiskey, 
which  he  had  just  bought,  into  a  wagon.  He  lounged  up 
to  the  wagon  and  said: 

"  Don't  you  want  a  lift,  friend?  " 

"I  wouldn't  mind  having  a  little  help,"  replied  Wolff, 
looking  at  Clark  keenly;  "just  take  hold  one  side,  and  I'll 
take  the  other  ;  now,  together  !  " 

Having  thus  aided  in  loading  the  barrel,  Clark  turned  to 
go,  well  knowing  that  etiquette  would  require  Wolff  to  ask 
him  to  take  a  drink  ;  and  he  was  not  disappointed. 


Zi4  .  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

11  Hold  on  a  minute,"  said  Wolff;  "if  you'll  come  rouml 
to  my  tavern  I'll  give  you  a  good  drink  of  whiskey.  Jump 
in  and  ride  with  me ;  it's  only  a  little  ways." 

"  I  don't  care  if  I  do,"  was  Clark's  response  ;  and  the  two 
men  drove  off  together. 

Clark  improved  his  opportunity  so  well  that  Wolff  was 
very  much  pleased  with  him,  and  it  was  finally  arranged 
that  Clark  should  take  permanent  board  at  four  dollars  per 
week.  He  soon  learned  that  this  was  a  very  unusual  thing 
for  Wolff  to  permit :  the  latter,  in  fact,  said  that  it  never 
paid  to  take  regular  boarders  at  less  rates  than  transients, 
and  that  he  was  not  in  the  habit  of  doing  so  ;  therefore  he 
asked  Clark  not  to  say  anything  about  it  outside.  Clark 
readily  promised  to  be  silent,  and  said  that  Wolff  could  trust 
him  to  keep  his  mouth  shut  at  all  times. 

"  I  can  talk  as  much  as  the  next  man,"  he  said,  "  when  I 
have  no  reason  to  hold  my  tongue  ;  but  no  man  can  learn 
anything  from  me  that  I  don't  wish  to  tell.  It  isn't  always 
the  man  who  talks  most  that  tells  most ;  I  believe,  with 
Talleyrand,  that  language  was  made  to  disguise  our 
thoughts." 

"That's  true,"  replied  Wolff,  approvingly;  "there  are 
some  who  think  it  is  best  to  say  as  little  as  possible.  My 
experience  is  that  those  men  are  sure  to  say  the  wrong  thing 
when  they  have  to  talk." 

"  You  have  my  idea  exactly,"  said  Clark  ;  "but  please 
speak  a  little  louder.  The  fact  is,  I  was  near  an  explosion 
not  long  ago.  and  it  has  affected  my  hearing  somewhat.  My 
physician  recommended  country  air  as  very  desirable,"  he 


THE  DETECTIVES.  35 

added  with  a  significant  look,  "  and  so  I  shall  be  here  for 
several  weeks." 

"The  longer  the  better,"  answered  Wolff ;  "we'll  make 
'  you  comfortable  as  long  as  you  choose  to  stay." 

As  Clark  went  out  to  wash  his  hands,  he  heard  Wolff  say 
to  the  housekeeper  in  a  low  tone  : 

"  He's  a  deep  one,  he  is.  I'll  bet  he's  a  high-toned  'crib- 
cracker,'  for  he's  too  well  educated  to  be  after  small  game. 
I  shouldn't  wonder  if  the  explosion  he  spoke -about  took 
place  in  a  safe  door." 

Clark's  method  of  making  Wolff's  acquaintance  was  very 
bold  and  risky.  A  criminal  of  first-class  ability,  education, 
and  experience  would  not  have  trusted  a  stranger,  as 
Clark  appeared  to  trust  Wolff;  hence  if  WTolrf  had  been 
more  experienced  in  crime,  and  more  cautious  himself,  he 
would  have  distrusted  Clark  ;  but  the  latter  was  a  shrewd 
observer,  and  he  felt  sure  that  he  could  deceive  Wolff. 
His  success  was  highly  gratifying,  but  on  receiving  his 
report  I  instantly  sent  him  instructions  to  be  doubly 
cautious  in  the  future,  and  to  let  Wolff  make  all  the  ad- 
vances toward  intimacy.  It  was  evident  that  Wolff  had  a 
high  opinion  of  Clark,  and  that,  if  he  should  engage  in  any 
serious  crimes,  he  would  be  apt  to  ask  the  latter' s  advice 
and  co-operation. 

Clark  remained  in  the  hotel  a  great  part  of  the  time  and 
always  muffled  up  his  face  when  he  went  out.  He  discovered 
nothing,  however,  and  no  incidents  of  note  occurred  until  the 
Saturday  night  after  his  arrival.  The  night  was  very  dark  and 
stormy  ;  no  railroad  trains  passed  over  the  road  after  seven 


36  THE  MODEL    TOWN. 

o'clock  on  Saturday  nights,  and  on  this  particular  night  few 
persons  cared  to  spend  the  evening  away  from  home. 
Hence  the  guests  at  the  Globe  Hotel  that  evening  were 
two  stock-drovers.  Clark  and  Wolff  and  these  men  played 
cards  together  until  eleven  o'clock,  at  which  hour  they  all 
went  to  bed. 

Clark  stood  at  his  window  a  moment  and  listened  to  the 
wind  as  it  shrieked  about  the  chimneys  and  roofs ;  he  had 
seen  nothing  as  yet  to  lead  him  to  suspect  Wolff  of  anything 
in  particular,  but  he  had  an  undefined  feeling  that  Wolff 
would  be  ready  for  any  scheme  to  enrich  himself,  honestly 
or  otherwise.  Avarice  was  his  ruling  passion,  and  he  would 
undoubtedly  do  anything  for  money ;  but  it  was  improbable 
that  he  had  been  engaged  in  incendiarism,  since  there  could 
be  no  profit  to  him  in  such  work.  This  train  of  thought  led 
Clark  to  wonder  whether  there  would  be  any  more  cases  of 
arson  ;  and,  as  he  rolled  into  bed,  the  thought  passed  through 
his  mind  :  "  This  would  be  a  terrible  night  for  a  fire." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ABOUT  one  o'clock,  Sunday  morning,  a  hoarse  voice 
alarmed  the  town  by  crying:  "Fire  !  fire  !"  Clark 
hastily  dressed  himself  and  rushed  down-stairs,  followed 
shortly  by  Wolff.  The  Globe  Hotel  was  situated  only  a 
short  distance  from  the  railroad  track,  and  the  grain  eleva- 
tor was  close  by.  On  reaching  the  street,  Clark  immediately 
saw  that  the  elevator  was  in  flames.  He  was  one  of  the 
first  on  the  spot,  and  he  tried  to  discover  where  the  fire  had 
started ;  this  was  a  hopeless  task,  however,  since  the  whole 
structure  was  burning  fiercely.  It  was  evident  that  the  fire 
had  been  in  progress  for  some  time,  and  it  was  impossible 
to  determine  its  origin,  except  that  it  had  been  on  the  wind- 
ward side. 

The  citizens  hurried  out  rapidly  and  brought  with  them  the 
only  hand-engine  belonging  to  the  city.  The  extreme  cold 
had  frozen  nearly  all  the  sources  of  water  supply,  however, 
and  the  only  object  which  they  hoped  to  attain  was  to  save 
the  railroad  depot  from  destruction.  But  the  total  failure 
of  the  water  soon  left  them  helpless,  and  they  were  able  to 
save  only  the  contents  of  the  depot  by  hard  work.  The  fire 
could  be  seen  for  miles  around,  and  people  came  from  long 
distances  in  the  hope  of  lending  assistance  in  extinguishing 
the  flames. 


88  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

Clark  began  his  investigations  as  soon  as  he  reached  the 
fire,  but  he  could  learn  very  little.  He  found  that  a  night 
watchman  was  employed  to  guard  the  depot  and  elevator, 
and  it  was  this  man  who  had  given  the  alarm.  It  was  cer- 
tain, however,  that  he  must  have  been  asleep  when  the 
building  was  set  on  fire,  since  the  flames  were  shooting  up 
to  a  great  height  before  he  saw  them  at  all ;  he  confessed 
that  he  sat  down  in  a  sheltered  spot  and  dozed  a  few 
moments,  but  he  was  sure  that  his  nap  had  not  lasted  over 
five  minutes  when  the  fire  awoke  him.  Under  the  circum- 
stances, his  estimate  of  time  was  not  considered  very 
accurate,  arid  there- was  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  any  one 
that  the  incendiaries  had  had  ample  time  to  do  their  work 
thoroughly,  without  fear  of  interruption. 

Wolff  talked  freely  about  the  fire,  and  expressed  his  regret 
at  the  loss  in  a  very  open,  honest  manner.  He  said  that 
the  railroad  company  would  now  have  an  additional  reason 
for  withdrawing  their  tracks  from  Mariola,  and,  should  they 
do  so,  his"  business  would  be  destroyed. 

While  Wolff  was  lamenting,  Hays,  Morgan,  and  Davis,  the 
watchmaker,  came  up  together.  They  all  lived  some  dis- 
tance from  the  depot,  and  they  were  none  of  them  very 
active  men  ;  hence  they  were  among  the  last  of  the  towns- 
people to  arrive  at  the  fire.  Davis  was  fully  dressed  and 
his  hair  was  combed,  so  that  both  of  my  men  noticed  his 
appearance.  Either  he  had  not  gone  to  bed  at  all,  or  else 
he  had  been  very  deliberate  in  making  his  tflilet.  None  of 
this  party  offered  to  do  any  work,  and  when  one  of  the 
citizens  asked  Hays  to  assist  in  moving  the  goods  from  the 


THE  DETECTIVES.  39 

depot,  he  said  insolently  that  he  didn't  owe  the  company 
anything,  and  he  didn't  see  why  he  should  work  on  a  cold 
night  without  any  prospect  of  being  paid  for  his  work. 
Morgan  and  Davis  coincided  in  this  view,  as  also  several 
other  idlers,  and  Hays  rose  considerably  in  their  estimation. 
Morgan  talked  a  great  deal  about  the  loss  the  elevator  and 
depot  would  be,  and  said  that  he  supposed  the  railroad 
tracks  would  now  be  removed  from  Mariola.  Old  Walker 
came  up  just  then  and  o\*erheard  Morgan's  remarks.  He 
faced  around  toward  the  group  of  loafers  and  stood  with  his 
back  toward  the  fire.  Taking  off  his  scull-cap  with  one 
hand,  he  put  the  other  hand  beneath  the  skirts  of  his  coat  as 
if  enjoying  the  blaze.  As  he  listened  to  Morgan,  he  grew 
very  much  excited,  and  began  to  harangue  the  crowd  in  a 
shrill,  vindictive  voice. 

"  Let  'em  move  their  tracks  if  they  want  to  !  What  do  I 
care  ?  I  pay  for  all  the  liquor  they  carry  for  me,  and  nevei 
ask  any  favors ;  but  they  tap  my  barrels  and  steal  from 
three  to  five  gallons  from  every  barrel  ;  then  they  fill  up 
with  water,  and  I  can't  get  any  satisfaction  from  them. 
I  don't  see  what  use  a  railroad  is  any  how.  I  think  we 
got  along  well  enough  before  it  came,  and  we  shall  do 
better  without  it.  Burn!  burn!"  he  added,  turning  to 
shake  his  fist  at  the  flames ;  "  I  dont  care  how  much  you 
burn." 

Morgan  stepped  up  to  the  old  man  and  said  something  in 
a  very  low  tone*  Walker  looked  at  him  an  instant  with  an 
almost  demoniac  look,  and  then  pushed  him  back  contemp- 
tuously, saying  : 


40  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

"  Morgan,  if  you  ain't  able  to  talk  square,  you  might  at 
least  have  sense  enough  to  hold  your  tongue." 

Morgan  slunk  away  as  if  anxious  to  avoid  observation, 
and  Walker,  seeing  that  he  had  attracted  considerable  atten- 
tion, took  Hays  by  the  arm  and  walked  away.  The  latter  had 
noted  Walker's  excitement  and  Morgan's  attempt  to  quiet 
him,  but  he  had  only  overheard  the  old  man's  angry  reply. 
As  they  went  back  to  the  restaurant,  Walker  was  moody  and 
irritable  ;  he  muttered  curses  occasionally,  gesticulated  vio- 
lently at  times,  and  often  passed  his  hand  over  his  forehead, 
as  if  trying  to  clear  his  thoughts.  When  they  reached  the 
bar-room,  Walker  poured  out  a  heavy  drink  of  whiskey  for 
each,  and  seated  himself  near  the  stove  in  sullen  silence. 
At  length,  poking  the  fire  viciously,  he  said  : 

"What  a  d d  fool  Morgan  is!"  Then  he  added 

quickly,  as  if  he  had  expressed  more  than  he  intended  : 
"At  cards,  I  mean,  at  cards.  We  got  beaten  every  time 
this  evening,  he  played  so  foolishly." 

"  I  should  like  to  be  your  partner,"  drawled  Hays ; 
"  you  have  never  tried  me,  but  I  think  we  should  suit  each 
other." 

The  old  man  turned  a  piercing  look  upon  him,  as  if  to  de- 
termine whether  he  had  any  hidden  meaning  in  his  speech. 
After  a  prolonged  gaze,  which  Hays  bore  without  showing 
the  least  embarrassment,  Walker  said  : 

"  Well,  we'll  take  a  hand  together  some  time.  I  think 
I'd  get  along  with  you,  for  I've  taken  a  fancy  to  you,  and 
I'm  a  good  judge  of  human  nature." 

"  You  will  learn  more  of  meby-and-by,"  replied  Hays,  "  ] 


THE  DETECTIVES.  41 

have  my  faults,  of  course,  but  I  never  gft  back  on  a  friend 
and  I  keep  my  own  counsel." 

"That's  right,  that's  right,  Hays  ;  never  talk  to  any  one 
about  your  own  affairs  unless  you  know  that  you  can  trust 
him.  Some  day  I  may  talk  to  you  about  some  matters 
that  are  worth  knowing,  but  not  just  now.  I  think  you  are 
a  true  man,  and  I  will  trust  you  when  the  time  comes.  Now 

there  is  that  d d  idiot  Morgan,  I  don't  know  whether 

he  is  a  fool  or  a  knave.  Don't  you  think  when  three  men 
have  a  secret,  and  they  agree  to  say  certain  things  about 
it,  that  it  shows  a  mean  spirit  for  one  of  them  to  weaken  and 
attempt  to  talk  against  his  partners  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,  Mr.  Walker ;  a  man  must  be  a  worthless 
coward  if  he  cannot  live  up  to  his  word.  Now,  I  think  if 
you  should  trust  me  in  anything,  I  could  help  you  a  good 
deal." 

Walker  seemed  a  little  disturbed  by  this  remark,  and 
replied  quite  reservedly,  as  if  he  wished  to  return  to  the 
subject  of  card-playing: 

"  The  only  partner  I  want  is  a  man  who  can  play  his 
hand  for  all  it's  worth.  Perhaps  you  would  suit  me  as  well 
as  any  one  else,  but  that  fellow  Morgan  hardly  knows  a. 
king  from  a  deuce." 

Hays  saw  that  he  had  gone  too  fast,,  and  he  replied  : 

"  Well,  of  course,  every  man  plays  a  different  kind  of  a 
game  ;  some  day,  if  you  will  take  me  for  a  partner  in  a  good 
game,  I  will  show  you  how  well  we  can  work  together.  It 
is  after  four  o'clock,"  he  continued,  with  a  yawn  ;  "I  guess 
1  will  go  back  to  my  room  and  finish  my  sleep." 


42  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

"  Well,  come  in  again  this  afternoon,"  said  Walker,  "  and 
I  will  tell  you  about  Morgan.  It  won't  do  to  trust  him 
too  much.  I  am  chilled  through,  and  shall  go  to  bed 
until  ten  o'clock.  I  slept  through  most  of  the  excite- 
ment, and  didn't  wake  up  until  the  fire  had  nearly  burned 
out." 

The  two  men  then  took  a  parting  drink  together,  and  Hays 
left  the  restaurant  as  the  first  signs  of  dawn  began  to  appear 
in  the  east.  The  clouds  had  cleared  off,  though  the  wind 
still  blew  with  great  violence.  The  smouldering  embers  of 
the  fire  just  touched  the  surrounding  houses  with  a  lurid 
glare,  while  overhead  the  clear,  peaceful  depths  of  the  star- 
lit skies  contrasted  strongly  with  the  scene  of  confusion 
below.  Hays  made  another  visit  to  the  ruins,  and,  finding 
nothing  new  to  investigate,  he  then  went  toiiis  room  at  the 
Tremont  House. 

Clark  remained  around  the  depot  grounds  until  daylight ; 
he  assisted  in  removing  the  goods,  and  was  thus  able  to  keep 
a  sharp  watch  upon  the  whole  place.  If  the  fire  had  been 
set  in  the  hope  of  thereby  obtaining  an  opportunity  to 
plunder,  the  villains  had  changed  their  plans,  since  there 
were  no  attempts  made  to  steal  anything  whatever'. 

When  Clark  returned  to  the  Globe  Hotel,  at  breakfast 
time,  he  found  three  strangers  in  confidential  conversation 
with  Wolff.  They  were  all  of  middle-age  and  seemed  to  be 
partners.  Wolff  introduced  Clark  to  them  and  said  that  they 
were  cattle  drovers.  Clark  did  not  believe  this  story,  as  the 
men  weie  much  more  intelligent  than  most  di  overs  ;  and 
in  the  course  of  their  talk  he  soon  discovered  fiat  they  did 


THE  DETECTIVES.  43 

not  pretend  to  keep  up  their  assumed  characters.  They 
went  up-stairs  immediately  after  breakfast  and  did  not  appear 
,vhile  any  visitors  were  around. 

The  town  was  filled  with  farmers  during  the  forenoon,  and 
many  of  them  left  their  teams  at  Wolff's.  They  were  all 
greatly  excited  at  the  loss  of  the  elevator,  and  threats  of 
lynching  the  incendiary,  when  discovered,  were  freely  made. 
In  the  afternoon  most  of  the  farmers  went  home,  and  at 
three  o'clock  Wolff  and  his  boarders  had  dinner.  The  con- 
versation at  dinner-time  was  upon  the  subject  of  the  fire,  and 
Wolff  talked  very  freely.  He  had  evidently  told  his  three 
guests  that  Clark  was  trustworthy,  for  they  all  treated  him 
like  one  of  themselves. 

"  I  don't  know  any  more  about  the  fire  than  any  one 
else,"  said  Wolff,  "but  I  have  my  suspicions.  Old  man 
Walker  was  there  acting  like  a  lunatic,  and  saying  that  he 
was  glad  to  see  the  depot  burn.  Then  there  was  that 
fellow  Morgan,  who  is  as  big  a  scoundrel  as  there  is  out  of 
jail.  I  have  heard  a  good  deal  about  him,  and  he  and  old 
Walker  are  always  together.  I  can't  see  why  Walker  trusts 
him  ;  for  if  he  should  ever  be  caught  at  anything,  he  would 
'  squeal '  on  the  whole  crowd." 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  said  one  of  the  strangers  ;  "if  Walkei 
jputs  any  confidence  in  him,  he  will  find  out  his  mistake  too 
late.  Morgan  played  me  a  mean  trick  once,  and  I  would 
be  glad  to  pay  him  off  if  I  got  a  chance." 

"  But  there  is  Ben  Leitz,"  said  another  of  the  strangers  ; 
"  he  is  a  safe  man,  yet  he  trusts  Morgan  too." 

'  Well,  that  is  true,"   said  Wolff;  "  but  probably  he  has 


'44  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

quit  the  business ;  still,  if  he  has  given  up  the  old  game,  I 
dont  see  how  he  gets  along  so  well." 

"Probably  he  may  be  working  'on  the  quiet,'  and  mak- 
ing it  pay  better  than  some  others  who  don't  know  the  ropes 
so  well,"  Clark  suggested. 

"  Then  he  has  some  sharp  assistant  that  I  don't  know  of," 
said  Wolff. 

They  continued  in  conversation  for  some  time,  but  noth- 
ing further  of  any  consequence  was  said. 

In  the  afternoon  Hays  went  back  to  Walker's  restaurant, 
where  he  found  Leitz  and  Morgan,  who  had  just  dined  with 
Walker.  They  were  all  in  high  spirits,  and  Morgan  seemed 
to  have  appeased  the  old  man's  anger.  He  had  evidently 
promised  to  retract  the  expressions  which  had  displeased 
Walker  in  the  morning  ,  for  he  went  out  soon  after  Hays 
entered,  saying  : 

"  I'm  going  to  take  a  walk  'round  town  to  hear  what  peo- 
ple think  about  the  fire.  I  shall  talk  in  a  different  tone  from 
that  I  used  this  morning." 

"  Mind  you  do,"  answered  Walker  ;  "  if  you  hear  anybody 
whimpering  at  the  loss  of  the  depot,  just  shut  'em  up,  and 
tell  'em  it's  a  good  thing  that  it  was  burned  without  destroy- 
ing any  other  houses.  Say  that  the  railroad  officers  wanted 
a  good  excuse  for  straightening  their  line,  and  that  they 
probably  set  fire  to  the  elevator  themselves." 

"  I'll  talk  in  the  right  way  this  time,"  said  Morgan,  confi- 
dently. 

After  his  departure,  the  other  three  men  played  cards  foi 
an  hour ;  Hays  showed  such  skill  in  playing,  and  such 


THE  DETECTIVES.  45 

• 
extraordinary  luck  in  dealing,  as  to  excite  the  admiration  of 

both  his  companions,  for,  as  there  were  no  bets  made,  they 
did  not  mind  losing  the  games.  At  length  Walker  and 
Leitz  said  that  they  wanted  to  take  a  stroll  about  town,  and 
the  former  asked  Hays  to  stay  in  the  bar-room  during  their 
absence. 

"  Don't  let  anybody  in,"  said  Walker,  "  unless  you  know 
they  are  '  square  '  men.  Some  of  these  canting  church  peo- 
ple would  like  to  prosecute  me  for  selling  liquor  on  Sunday 
if  they  could  get  any  witnesses  to  appear  against  me." 

"  Never  fear,"  replied  Hays;  "I  can  tell  the  right  sort  at 
a  glance,  and  the  Puritan  Fathers  may  send  as  many  spies 
here  as  they  please,  but  none  of  them  will  get  a  drop  from 
me." 

Mrs.  Maxwell,  the  housekeeper,  joined  Hays  after  Walker 
and  Leitz  had  gone  out,  and  they  conversed  together  for 
quite  a  long  time.  Mrs.  Maxwell  was  a  fine-looking  widow, 
about  forty  years  of  age,  and  she  was  quite  ready  to  gossip 
about  anything  she  knew.  Hays  learned  from  her  that 
Walker  had  been  on  intimate  terms  with  Leitz  for  over  two 
years,  and  that  he  was  even  more  intimate  with  Leitz's  wife, 
Lucy.  Mrs.  Maxwell  had  two  children,  and  Walker  had 
promised  to  send  them  to  school  during  the  next  year  ;  but 
he  was  strongly  opposed  to  the  manner  in  which  the  public 
school  had  been  conducted,  and  he  had  really  rejoiced  when 
it  was  destroyed.  There  had  been  a  strong  effort  made  to 
prevent  the  reading  of  the  Bible  in  the  public  school,  and 
Walker  had  been  one  of  the  principal  opponents  of  the 
Sacred  Book. 


46  THE  MODEL    TOWN. 

• 
"  One  could   almost  imagine   that  the  old   man   was  a 

prophet,"  said  Mrs.  Maxwell,  "  for  he  foretold  that  the 
churches  and  school-house  would  be  worsted  in  the  struggle  ; 
and  sure  enough  they  have  all  been  destroyed  except  one 
church." 

Walker  and  Leitz  returned  at  dusk,  and  Hays  spent  the 
evening  playing  cards  with  them  ;  but  they  did  not  again 
refer  to  the  fire,  and  it  seemed  as  if  they  had  not  been 
pleased  with  the  loud  threats  of  lynching  the  incendiaries, 
which  they  had  heard. 


CHAPTER  V. 

MONDAY  morning  following  the  fire  I  was  visited  by 
Mr.  Bascom,  superintendent  of  the  railroad.  I  had 
just  received  the  reports  of  Hays  and  Clark,  and  I  was, 
therefore  fully  posted  upon  the  recent  events  in  Mariola. 
Mr.  Bascom  said  that  he  wished  me  to  investigate  the 
various  outrages  which  had  been  perpetrated  against  the 
railroad,  as  affairs  had  now  become  so  serious  in  the  vicinity 
of  Mariola  that  public  attention  had  been  attracted,  and  the 
road  was  suffering  considerably.  He  asked  me  to  go  at 
once  to  survey  the  ground,  and  then  to  put  a  keen,  intelli- 
gent man  at  work  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  the  criminals 
to  punishment. 

I  told  him  that  it  would  be  unnecessary  for  me  to  go 
there,  as  I  was  already  well  informed  of  the  condition  of 
affairs  in  Mariola.  I  would  send  another  man  to  assist 
those  already  there,  and  they  would  all  work  in  harmony. 
I  had  no  doubt  whatever  that  the  same  men  who  had  fired 
the  churches  had  also  destroyed  the  railroad  buildings.  I 
arranged  matters  satisfactorily  with  Mr.  Bascom  and  then 
sent  for  Timothy  Webster,  one  of  the  best  men  in  my 
employ.  I  explained  to  him  all  the  circumstances  of  the 
case  that  were  then  known  to  me,  and  told  him  my  sus- 
picions and  opinions.  As  a  number  of  workmen  would  be 


48  T1IE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

required  to  clear  away  the  debris  of  the  elevator  and  depot, 
I  directed  him  to  obtain  a  place  in  the  gang.  After  he  had 
worked  a  short  time,  he  could  get  discharged ;  then  it  would 
be  easy  to  become  acquainted  with  all  the  loafers  in  town. 
Webster  left  Chicago  the  same  evening  for  Mariola  ;  the 
next  morning  he  might  have  been  seen  vigorously  shoveling 
damaged  grain  into  a  wheelbarrow  in  the  ruins  of  the 
elevator.  Here  he  worked  about  a  week  ;  but,  as  he  grew 
more  and  more  lazy  every  day,  he  was  discharged  as  a 
worthless  vagabond. 

Meantime  Clark  was  progressing  rapidly  toward  obtain- 
ing the  confidence  of  Wolff  and  his  housekeeper,  Mrs.  Black. 
The  three  strangers  disappeared  the  day  after  the  fire,  and 
in  a  few  days  Wolff  told  Clark  that  he  thought  of  going 
away  for  a  short  time  to  travel.  He  said  that  he  should 
need  some  one  to  manage  the  house  during  his  absence,  and 
that  he  would  like  Clark  to  take  charge. 

"I  shall  be  gone  about  a  week,"  he  said,  "and  you  will 
have  plenty  to  do.  I  have  a  great  many  customers,  as  you 
know,  and  I  want  a  man  here  who  knows  how  to  treat  my 
friends." 

"  I  guess  I  can  tell  the  right  sort,"  replied  Clark.  "  I 
should  expect  to  give  some  visitors  much  quieter  accommo- 
dations than  others." 

"  That's  it  exactly,"  said  Wolff ;  "  if  any  men  come  at 
night  and  want  to  see  me,  tell  them  I  am  away ;  if  they 
choose  to  wait  for  me,  give  them  rooms  and  let  them  have 
what  they  want.  They  can  have  their  meals  alone  if  they 
wish  ;  Mrs.  Black  understands  what  to  do.  Some  of  them 


THE  DETECTIVES.  49 

won't  go  out  much,  and  you  needn't  talk  about  them  out- 
side ;  you  understand  ?  " 

"Yes;  I  think  I  do,"  said  Clark;  "my  idea  is  that  if 
your  boarders  attend  to  their  own  business  and  pay  their 
bills,  you  don't  trouble  yourself  to  ask  them  any  questions  ; 
eh  ?  " 

"  I  see  that  you  know  what  I  want,"  rejoined  Wolff,  with 
a  satisfied  look.  "  I  shall  get  ready  immediately,  so  that  I 
can  leave  at  nightfall." 

Mrs.  Black  was  present  during  the  conversation,  and 
when  he  went  up-stairs,  she  said  : 

"  I  never  saw  a  man  who  could  manage  Wolff  as  well  as 
you  can  ;  he  never  has  allowed  any  one  to  take  charge  of 
the  house  before.  I  hope  you  will  continue  to  suit  him,  foi 
then  he  will  want  you  to  stay.  You  can  make  it  pay  well 
if  you  choose,  for  Wolff  makes  a  pile  of  money." 

"  I  guess  I  can  keep  things  pretty  straight  while  he  is 
gone,"  said  Clark,  "  and  I  am  glad  he  is  going,  for  we  can 
have  a  jolly  time  during  his  absence." 

Mrs.  Black  blushed  and  looked  very  much  pleased ;  but 
she  said  nothing  more,  as  Wolff  came  in  all  ready  for  his 
journey.  He  had  a  small  satchel  in  his  hand,  which  he  set 
clown  a  moment  while  he  put  on  his  overcoat.  Clark 
helped  Wolff  with  his  coat,  and  in  doing  so  he  touched  a 
very  h^avy  package  in  the  outside  pocket.  While  profess- 
ing to  be  engaged  in  pulling  down  the  coat  underneath  the 
overcoat  he  succeeded  in  feeling  of  this  package ;  it  was 
cylindrical  in  shape  and  was  sealed  with  wax  at  each  end. 
He  also  lifted  the  satchel  and  found  that  it  was  very  heavy, 
3 


50  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

much  more  so  than  would  have  been  the  case  had  he  sim- 
ply carried  his  ordinary  changes  of  clothing. 

When  Wolff  was  all  ready,  he  went  to  the  stable  and 
brought  out  a  fine  span  of  mares  and  a  light  driving  wagon. 
Clark  helped  him  to  harness  them  into  the  wagon,  and  then 
he  offered  to  take  the  team  around  to  the  front  door  of  the 
hotel. 

"Not  much,"  said  Wolff,  in  reply  to  Clark's  offer;  "I 
don't  propose  to  advertise  that  I'm  going  away  any  more 
than  is  necessary.  Just  hold  the  horses  until  I  bring  out 
my  other  span,  will  you  ?  " 

So  saying  he  went  back  into  the  stable  and  brought  out 
a  second  pair  of  matched  horses.  These  were  fastened  to 
the  back  of  the  wagon  by  strong  halters,  and  Wolff  then  got 
in,  carefully  placing  his  satchel  between  his  feet.  It  was 
quite  dark  by  this  time,  but  Wolff  asked  Clark  to  go  to  the 
street  and  see  whether  there  were  many  people  in  sight.  He 
was  quite  elated  at  something,  but  still  he  showed  consid- 
erable nervousness.  As  he  passed  Clark  at  the  front  gate, 
he  said  : 

"  When  I  have  sold  these  two  teams  I  shall  be  about 
ready  to  come  home.  It  isn't  every  day  that  you  can  find 
such  horses  as  these,  and  I  expect  to  get  a  good  price. 
Good-bye  ;  keep  a  good  watch  on  your  customers,  arid  if  you 
find  any  spies  hanging  'round,  give  'em  a  good  licking  to 
teach  them  to  mind  their  own  business." 
.  "  Good-bye,  old  man,"  said  Clark  ;  "  I  shall  take  good  care 
of  the  hotel,  and  will  try  to  fill  your  place  in  every  respect." 

Wolff  drove  off  at  a  rapid  rate,  and  Clark  returned  to  the 


THE  DETECTIVES.  51 

house  to  ponder  over  the  suspicious  movements  and  busi- 
ness of  the  hotel-keeper  and  his  friends.  He  finally  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  supposed  cattle-drovers  were 
horse-thieves,  and  that  Wolff  was  engaged  in  selling  the 
horses  stolen  by  the  rest  of  the  gang  ;  he  must  also  be  in 
league  with  a  set  of  counterfeiters,  since  the  package  which 
Wolff  had  in  his  pocket  was  shaped  exactly  like  a  roll  of 
money.  Clark  therefore  determined  to  direct  all  his  ener- 
gies toward  discovering  the  place  where  the  counterfeiting 
was  done. 

Webster  was  discharged  from  his  place  as  laborer  about 
the  time  Wolff  went  away.  He  had  made  himself  well 
known  in  all  the  saloons,  and  nearly  every  loafer  in  Mari- 
ola  was  acquainted  with  him.  He  seemed  like  a  lazy  ne'er- 
do-well  who  would  prefer  to  work  as  little  as  possible  if  he 
could  live  at  the  expense  of  other  people. 

One  Saturday  night  he  was  returning  from  a  visit  to  a 
saloon  in  a  neighboring  town  ;  in  fact,  it  was  about  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning  before  he  reached  the  outskirts  of 
Mariola.  As  he  walked  along,  with  the  noiseless  tread  which 
was  habitual  with  him,  he  saw  two  men  hurrying  down  a 
cross-street,  carrying  a  large  bundle  between  them.  They 
had  not  noticed  him,  and  he  had  no  difficulty  in  following 
them  without  their  knowledge.  They  walked  as  rapidly  as 
their  burden  would  permit,  and  soon  left  the  ttiickly -settled 
part  of  the  city.  At  length  they  reached  a  small  frame  cot- 
tage in  the  suburbs,  where  they  paused  ;  after  glancing  around 
to  see  whether  any  one  was  stirring,  they  entered  the  house 
and  lighted  lamps  in  two  rooms.  Webster  crept  up  and  tried 


52  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

to  see  what  was  going  on,  but  the  windows  were  all  fitted 
with  close  shades,  which  prevented  him  from  discovering 
anything.  He  decided  to  send  a  report  to  me  by  the  ex- 
press train  which  passed  through  Mariola  at  five  o'clock. 
I  received  his  account  therefore  the  same  day,  and  was  able 
to  inform  Mr.  Lincoln  by  the  Sunday  night  train  that  a  rob- 
bery had  probably  been  committed  in  Mariola.  I  told  him 
that  if  it  should  be  discovered  that  any  one  had  been  robbed 
he  would  find  the  stolen  goods  secreted  in  a  small  cottage 
just  outside  of  the  city.  I  described  the  premises  exactly, 
and  suggested  that  a  warrant  be  obtained  to  search  them. 
I  urged  him  to  see  in  person  that  the  search  was  faithfully 
made,  since  the  City  Marshal  might  not  be  wholly  reliable  ; 
or,  at  any  rate,  he  might  be  careless  and  inefficient. 

Mr.  Lincoln  received  my  letter  early  Monday  morning, 
just  after  having  posted  a  letter  informing  me  that  a  dry- 
goods  store  had  been  robbed  the  night  before  of  a  large 
amount  of  laces,  silks,  fine  cloths,  etc.  The  robbers  had 
selected  only  the  best  goods  and  had  left  no  trace  by  which 
to  follow  them.  Mr.  Lincoln  said  that  he  and  Mr.  Brown 
suspected  a  man  named  Hays,  who  was  boarding  at  the 
Tremont  House,  of  having  committed  the  robbery.  They 
had  learned  that  Hays  was  a  gambler  and  a  loafer ;  he  had 
no  regular  occupation,  yet  he  paid  his  board  regularly  and 
was  well  received  in  all  the  saloons  as  a  cash  customer. 
They  had  learned  also  that  he  had  not  returned  to  the  hotel 
until  a  very  late  hour  the  night  before  ;  Mr.  Lincoln  there- 
fore asked  whether  it  would  not  be  well  to  arrest  Hays  and 
search  his  room. 


THE    DETECTIVES.  53 

On  receipt  of  this  letter  I  immediately  replied  that  it 
could  do  no  harm  to  arrest  Hays,  since  if  he  was  the  rob- 
ber they  would  be  apt  to  discover  something  to  fasten  the 
crime  upon  him  ;  but  if  he  was  innocent  he  would  proba- 
bly be  able  to  prove  his  innocence,  and  he  would  then  be 
discharged. 

"  It  is  probable,"  I  wrote,  "  that  he  is  a  hard  character, 
and,  like  all  habitual  criminals,  he  will  be  satisfied  to  escape 
close  inquiry  into  his  habits,  and  will  not  cause  any  incon- 
venience to  you  for  arresting  him." 

My  object  in  having  Hays  arrested  was  to  give  him  an 
additional  claim  to  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  crim- 
inal element  in  Mariola  society,  for  they  would  be  sure  to 
regard  him  as  one  of  themselves  as  soon  as  the  respectable 
members  of  the  community  turned  against  him.  I  knew 
that  his  confinement  could  last  only  a  day  or  two,  and  that 
after  his  release  he  would  be  quite  a  hero  among  Walker's 
followers. 

I  wrote  to  Webster  also,  by  the  same  mail,  to  see  Hays 
at  once,  get  all  his  papers,  and  tell  him  that  he  might  be 
arrested  at  any  moment.  1  preferred  to  write  to  Webster 
instead  of  Hays,  because  I  was  afraid  that  Mr.  Lincoln, 
who  was  postmaster,  might  detain  and  open  Hays'  letter. 
Immediately  on  receiving  my  letter  Webster  called  upon 
Hays  and  told  him  what  to  expect ;  the  latter  instantly 
turned  over  his  papers  to  Webster,  destroyed  all  evidences 
of  his  profession,  and  then  strolled  down  to  Walker's  res- 
laurant  to  await  arrest. 

Meanwhile  Mr.  Lincoln  had  received  my  second  letter  on 


54  THE  MODEL    TOWN. 

Monday  morning,  and  he  was  perfectly  amazed  to  learn 
that  I  had  known  of  the  robbery  on  Sunday  evening,  when 
he  supposed  that  it  had  been  committed  late  Sunday  night. 
He  then  instituted  a  careful  inquiry,  and  certain  indications 
which  had  been  observed  convinced  him  that  the  robbery 
had  taken  place  Saturday  night ;  but  that  as  no  one  went  to 
the  store  on  Sunday  the  loss  was  not  discovered  until  early 
Monday  morning.  Still  he  could  not  understand  how  I  had 
learned  about  it  a  day  before  it  was  known  in  Mariola,  and 
he  was  quite  mortified  that  their  own  watchmen  had  been 
outwitted,  while  a  detective  many  miles  away  was  aware  of 
the  crime, 


CHAPTER   VI. 

MR.  LINCOLN  decided  not  to  search  the  cottage  until 
after  he  had  received  my  reply  to  his  letter  about 
Hays.  Tuesday  morning,  on  reading  my  advice  to  have 
Hays  arrested,  he  went  to  see  Mr.  Brown,  and  they  agreed 
upon  a  plan  of  action.  They  then  sent  for  the  City  Mar- 
shal and  told  him  that  they  wished  him  to  arrest  Hays  on 
suspicion  of  having  robbed  the  dry-goods  store  of  Sanders  & 
Co.  The  Marshal  was  a  large,  fat  man,  good-humored  and 
careless  ;  he  was  well-meaning,  but  lazy  and  easily  influ- 
enced. He  liked  to  be  on  good  terms  with  every  one,  and 
was  too  fond  of  liquor  to  be  an  efficient  officer. 

Mr.  Lincoln  swore  out  a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of  Hays, 
and  Marshal  Binford  went  out  to  search  for  him.  Knowing 
that  Walker's  saloon  was  a  favorite  place  of  resort,  he  went 
there  first,  arriving  a  few  minutes  after  Hays,  who  had  just 
left  Webster.  On  entering  the  saloon  the  Marshal  went 
straight  up  to  Hays  and  said  : 

"  You  are  my  prisoner ;  I  have  a  warrant  for  your  arrest." 

"  I  reckon  you  are  joking,"  replied  Hays,  without  show- 
ing any  alarm.  "  What  do  you  charge  me  with  ?  " 

Old  Walker  was  well  acquainted  with  the  Marshal,  and  he 
instantly  came  out  from  behind  his  bar  to  see  what  was  the 
matter. 


56  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

"What  have  you  got  against  Hays,  Binfoid?"  he  asked 
"  You  must  have  mistaken  the  man." 

"  No,  sir ;  I  am  not  mistaken.  Here  is  the  warrant, 
issued  by  Justice  Green  ;  Hays  is  charged  with  breaking 
into  the  store  of  Sanders  &  Co.,  and  the  complaint  was 
made  by  Mr.  Lincoln  and  Mr.  Brown." 

"  When  was  the  robbery  committed  ?  "  asked  Hays. 

"  The  warrant  says  between  the  hours  of  ten  o'clock 
Saturday  night  and  seven  o'clock  Monday  morning. 

"  Well,  I  can  easily  prove  an  alibi"  said  Hays,  "  for  I 
was  with  Mr.  Walker  most  of  the  time,  except  when  I  was 
abed  and  asleep  at  the  Tremont  House." 

"  I  must  take  you  in  charge  nevertheless,"  said  Binford  ; 
"  I  must  execute  my  warrant,  and  you  can  give  bail  before 
Justice  Green." 

"  I'll  go  bail  for  you,  Hays,"  said  Walker  ;  "  you've  got 
plenty  of  friends  here  to  stand  by  you." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Walker,  you  are  very  kind,  and  I  shall 
never  forget  your  offer,"  said  Hays.  "When  I  have  proven 
my  innocence  I  shall  make  some  of  these  fellows  repent 
having  accused  me  unjustly." 

"That's  right,  Hays,"  growled  Walker;  "sue  'em  for 
damages  and  teach  'em  to  be  more  careful  in  future." 

By  this  time  about  a  dozen  persons  had  gathered  around, 
and  Hays  seemed  to  enjoy  his  notoriety.  He  told  the  Mar- 
shal that  he  wished  the  warrant  read  in  due  form,  and  after 
the  reading  he  asked  the  Marshal  and  the  crowd  up  to  the 
bar  to  drink.  The  Marshal  had  no  objection,  and  the 
crowd  joined  them  with  great  satisfaction.  Hays  and  Mar 


THE  DETECTIVES.  57 

shal  Binford  then  headed  a  procession  which  moved  from 
Walker's  saloon  to  Justice  Green's  office.  The  arrest  was 
made  at  the  busiest  hour  of  the  forenoon,  and  as  soon  as  it 
became  known  that  the  Marshal  had  made  an  arrest  for  alleged 
complicity  in  the  latest  burglary,  nearly  every  one  who  could 
spare  the  time  hastened  to  the  court- room  to  witness  the 
proceedings.  Consequently  an  immense  crowd  was  present, 
and  the  attention  of  all  the  spectators  was  concentrated  on 
Hays  and  his  friends.  No  one  in  the  whole  assemblage  was 
more  cool  and  unconcerned  than  the  prisoner,  and  he  ex- 
changed greetings  with  his  friends  as  pleasantly  as  if  he  were 
receiving  an  ovation. 

On  reaching  the  courtroom  Walker  told  Morgan  ro  run 
over  to  see  Ben  Leitz  and  ask  him  to  come  to  the  Justice's 
office  to  defend  Hays.  He  hurried  away  rapidly,  and  very 
soon  Leitz  joined  the  party. 

"What  is  the  matter  ?  "  he  asked  breathlessly. 

Walker  informed  him  of  the  charge,  and  said  that  Hays 
could  easily  prove  an  alibi. 

"  Of  course  he  can,"  replied  Leitz  ?  "  besides,  Hays  is  too 
sharp  a  .nan  to  get  himself  into  trouble  for  a  little  job  like 
that." 

"Certainly  not,"  added  Walker;  "Hays  will  have  big 
game  or  none  at  all ;  eh,  Hays  ?  " 

"That's  my  style,  gentlemen,"  replied  Hays,  jauntily  put- 
ting his  thumbs  into  his  vest  pockets  and  tipping  his  hat 
forward.  "  If  I  should  decide  to  take  the  hint  which  Messrs. 
Lincoln  and  Brown  have  given  me,  I  will  make  a  strike  foi 
high  stakes." 
3* 


58  THE  MODEL   TOWN  AND 

This  conversation  was  carried  on  in  a  low  tone,  being 
heard  by  only  three  or  four  of  Hays'  friends.  Meanwhile 
the  complainants  were  at  a  loss  what  to  do ;  they  had 
searched  Hays'  room,  but  had  found  nothing  to  incriminate 
him,  and  they  had  no  testimony  ready.  The  Justice  at 
length  called  the  case  and  asked  what  was  the  charge  against 
the  prisoner.  Mr.  Lincoln  gave  several  very  trifling  reasons 
for  suspecting  Hays,  and  stated  that  he  was  not  prepared  to 
go  on  with  the  examination  that  day ;  at  his  request,  there- 
fore, Justice  Green  continued  the  case  for  one  day  and  fixed 
the  amount  of  bail  at  five  hundred  dollars. 

Hays,  Leitz,  and  Walker  held  a  consultation  upon  the 
question  of  giving  bail.  It  was  finally  decided  that  Hays 
should  refuse  to  obtain  bail,  although  he  could  have  easily 
given  bonds  for  treble  the  amount,  with  Walker  and  Leitz  as 
sureties.  Hays  said  that  he  did  not  mind  passing  one  night 
in  jail,  as  he  could  obtain  greater  damages  from  his  per- 
secutors by  so  doing.  Leitz  therefore  addressed  the 
Court  in  a  very  extravagant  speech,  in  which  he  lauded 
Hays  as  a  model  of  injured  innocence.  He  concluded  as 
follows  : 

"  My  client  can  give  any  amount  of  bail,  your  honor , 
but  I  shall  advise  him  not  to  do  so.  He  would  prefer  to 
pass  the  night  in  a  noisome  cell — yes,  even  a  year  if  neces- 
sary— rather  than  countenance  the  illegalities  by  which  he 
is  to  be  deprived  of  his  liberty.  My  client,  your  honor,  is 
ready  to  go  on  with  the  examination  this  moment,  and  he 
can  prove  an  alibi  without  difficulty.  In  the  name  of  the 
boasted  freedom  of  our  institutions  I  protest  against  the 


THE  DETECTIVES.  59 

commitment  of  my  client  on  the  hearsay  testimony  which 
has  been  offered." 

In  spite  of  the  protest,  however,  Hays  was  remanded  to 
jail.  He  was  accompanied  through  the  streets  by  all  his 
loafer  friends,  and  Walker,  Leitz,  and  Morgan  agreed  to  stay 
with  him  most  of  the  night.  The  Marshal  kindly  volun- 
teered to  take  his  distinguished  prisoner  to  get  his  meals  at 
any  restaurant  he  might  prefer,  and  Hays,  of  course,  chose 
Walker's.  As  Hays  expected,  the  result  was  that  the 
restaurant  and  saloon  did  an  immense  business  that  day, 
since  every  one  was  anxious  to  see  the  man  accused  of 
burglary.  Walker  sent  some  clean  bedding  to  the  jail  and 
fixed  up  Hays'  cell  quite  decently,  so  that  he  was  subjected 
to  no  discomfort  whatever.  His  three  boon  companions 
stayed  with  him  until  nearly  midnight,  and  they  enjoyed 
the  evening  exceedingly.  The  next  morning  the  court- 
room was  again  crowded,  but  no  one  appeared  to  prosecute 
the  prisoner,  and  he  was  therefore  discharged.  He 
received  many  congratulations  from  the  loafers  present,  and 
he  added  to  his  popularity  by  treating  a  crowd  of  about 
twenty-five.  It  was  agreed  among  the  Walker-Leitz  set 
that  Hays  should  commence  a  suit  for  false  imprisonment 
against  Mr.  Lincoln,  Mr.  Brown,  Marshal  Binford,  and 
Justice  Green. 

Immediately  after  Hays'  discharge,  Mr.  Lincoln  and 
Mr.  Brown  went  to  Justice  Green  and  called  in  the  City 
Marshal  with  them.  They  then  stated  that  they  had  strong 
reasons  for  believing  that  Sanders  &  Co.'s  goods  had  been 
secreted  in  a  little  frame  cottage  in  the  suburbs  of  the  town 


30  THE  MO  DLL    TOWN  AND 

They  thought  that  a  search-warrant  should  be  issued  a,t  once 
to  enable  them  to  hunt  for  the  goods. 

Marshal  Binford  said  that  the  cottage  was  occupied  by 
two  men  named  Cook  and  Wallace.  There  was  a  small 
piece  of  ground  attached  to  the  cottage,  but  it  did  not  pro- 
duce much,  and  the  men  were  in  the  habit  of  working  on 
farms  in  the  neighborhood  during  the  summer  and  fall.  In 
winter  they  seemed  to  do  very  little  work,  yet  they  never 
complained  that  they  did  not  have  steady  employment. 
Still  the  Marshal  said  that  he  had  no  reason  to  suspect  them 
of  anything  criminal,  and  that  he  should  be  very  much  averse 
to  searching  their  house.  He  tried  to  persuade  Mr.  Lincoln 
that  the  affair  would  turn  out  as  disastrously  as  the  arrest  of 
Hays  ;  but  the  two  citizens  were  determined  to  follow  my 
instructions,  and  therefore  they  swore  out  a  search-warrant. 
Binford  was  anxious  to  avoid  the  responsibility,  and  so  lie 
said  that  he  would  deputize  a  sharp  fellow  named  Jim  War- 
den to  assist  him  in  the  search. 

Warden  was  a  tall  spare  man,  with  a  hook-nose,  ferret- 
eyes,  and  an  insincere  expression.  He  was  a  man  of  some 
little  property,  but  he  had  no  visible  means  of  support 
except  gambling,  which  he  carried  on  in  a  quiet  way.  He 
affected  a  dare-devil  style,  and  was  quite  a  braggart.  Still 
Mr.  Lincoln  did  not  know  anything  against  him  which 
would  prevent  him  from  serving  as  a  deputy,  and  so  no 
objections  were  made. 

Mr.  Brown  and  the  Marshal  immediately  went  out  to  look 
for  Warden,  and  they  soon  found  him  playing  cards  in  a 
saloon.  They  called  him  out  quietly  and  iold  him  the  busi- 


THE  DETECTIVES.  61 

ness  in  which  they  wished  his  assistance.  He  ridiculed  the 
idea  of  searching  Cook's  house,  and  said  that  both  Cook 
and  Wallace  were  decent,  honest  men. 

"  What  reason  have  you  for  suspecting  them  ?  "  he  finally 
asked. 

"  That  I  cannot  tell  you,"  replied  Mr.  Brown  ;  "but  I  and 
Lincoln  have  sworn  out  a  warrant  and  we  want  you  to  exe- 
cute it." 

"  Oh  !  come  up  and  take  a  drink,"  said  Warden.  "  I  tell 
you  I  know  that  those  men  are  all  right." 

The  Marshal  never  refused  an  invitation  to  drink,  and 
after  having  accepted  he  turned  to  Mr.  Brown  and  said  : 

"You  hear  what  Jim  says,  Mr.  Brown.  He  knows  all 
the  hard  cases  in  town,  and  he  thinks  these  men  are 
honest." 

"  You  can  depend  upon  that,"  said  Warden,  "  and  you  will 
get  into  serious  trouble,  Mr.  Brown,  if  you  act  so  rashly 
upon  wrong  suspicions." 

Mr.  Brown's  courage  began  to  fail  him,  and  he  stood  for 
several  minutes  undecided.  At  length  he  said  that  he 
would  go  back  to  see  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  he  then  left  the 
saloon,  where  Warden  and  the  Marshal  remained  to  await 
his  decision.  Fortunately  Webster  had  been  in  the  saloon 
and  had  overheard  the  whole  conversation.  He  knew  that 
unless  Brown  acted  promptly  the  alarm  would  be  given  to 
Cook  and  Wallace,  and  the  goods  would  be  carried  away 
beyond  the  hope  of  recovery.  He  therefore  followed 
Brown  out  and  kept  him  in  sight  until  an  opportunity 
occurred  to  speak  to  him  without  attracting  attention  ,  I  hen 


03  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

muffling  up  his  face  in  a  large  scarf,  he  came  up  close  be- 
hind Mr.  Brown  and  said  in  a  clear  voice  : 

"  Don't  look  'round,  Mr.  Brown,  nor  appear  to  notice  me 
in  any  way.  You  do  not  know  me,  and  it  is  better  that 
you  should  not  ;  but  you  must  act  quickly  on  my  advice. 
The  stolen  goods  are  in  Cook's  house,  and  you  must  insist 
upon  having  it  searched  immediately.  Go  back  to  the  Mar- 
shal and  make  him  commence  at  once.  Don't  tell  any  one 
where  you  got  your  information,  but  act  without  delay." 

The  moment  Mr.  Brown  heard  Webster's  voice  he  turned 
his  head  suddenly,  but  he  instantly  looked  to  the  front  again 
and  continued  walking,  although  he  listened  attentively. 
Webster  darted  into  an  alley  as  soon  as  he  had  finished 
speaking,  so  that  Mr.  Brown  was  perfectly  ignorant  of  the 
personal  appearance  of  his  unknown  adviser.  He  hurried 
to  Mr.  Lincoln's  store  and  told  him  what  had  occurred.  Mr. 
Lincoln  grabbed  his  hat  and  started  out,  saying : 

"  Come  along  as  quick  as  you  can.  We  don't  know  nor 
care  who  the  stranger  was,  but  he  certainly  gave  good  ad- 
vice." 

The  two  gentlemen  walked  rapidly  to  the  saloon,  where 
they  found  Binford  and  Warden  seated  before  the  stove, 
drinking  and  telling  stories. 

•  "Mr.  Binford,"  said  Mr.  Lincoln,  "we  have  sworn  out  a 
search-warrant,  and  have  placed  it  in  your  hands  to  be  exe- 
cuted ;  we  insist  that  you  proceed  with  your  duty." 

"  But,  Mr.  Lincoln,  Jim  Warden,  my  deputy,  says  that  it 
will  get  us  all  into  trouble  ;  if  Cook  is  innocent  he  will 
bring  suit  against  us  for  damages,  as  Hays  is  going  to  do." 


THE  DETECTIVES.  63 

"  You  have  no  discretion  in  the  matter,  Marshal  Binfoid, 
nor  does  any  responsibility  fall  upon  you,"  replied  Mr. 
Lincoln.  "  If  any  wrong  be  done,  Mr.  Brown  and  I  are  the 
only  ones  who  will  suffer.  If  your  deputy  is  afraid  to  help 
you,  you  can  deputize  me,  aad  I  will  make  the  search  my- 
self." 

"  Who  says  I'm  afraid  ?  "  said  Warden,  with  an  oath.  "  I 
ain't  afraid  of  anything;  but  I  can  tell  you  that  you'll  get 
sick  of  searching  the  houses  of  honest,  hard-working  men  like 
Cook.  That's  your  own  affair,  however,  and  if  you  think  you 
can  risk  another  suit  for  five  thousand  dollars  damages  come 

along.     You  needn't  think  I'm  afraid,  by ;  I'll  rip  up 

every  mattress  in  the  house  if  you  want  the  place  searched." 


CHAPTER   VII. 

WARDEN'S  attempt  to  intimidate  Mr.  Lincoln  did  not 
succeed,  and  at  length  they  started  out,  accompa- 
nied by  a  number  of  idlers,  among  whom  was  Webster.  On 
approaching  the  house  Warden  said  he  would  go  ahead  to 
see  that  nothing  was  disturbed  ;  but  Mr.  Lincoln  had  a  slight 
suspicion  of  Warden,  and  he  followed  him  very  closely. 
Just  as  they  entered  the  front  door  Cook  and  Wallace  dashed 
out  the  back  way.  Mr.  Lincoln  and  Mr.  Brown  pursued 
them  instantly  and  succeeded  in  capturing  them  both  after  a 
long  chase.  Meantime  the  Marshal,  Warden,  and  one  or 
two  of  Mr.  Brown's  friends  were  engaged  in  searching  the 
cottage  for  the  stolen  goods,  but  without  any  success ;'  hence 
when  Mr.  Lincoln  and  Mr.  Brown  returned  with  their  pris- 
oners they  felt  very  cheap  to  learn  that  nothing  had  been 
found  to  warrant  them  in  arresting  Cook  and  Wallace. 

Warden  exulted  openly  and  reminded  them  that  he  had 
cautioned  them  against  making  the  search.  The  leaders 
were  quite  crest-fallen,  as  they  had  not  only  made  them- 
selves ridiculous  in  chasing. and  arresting  two  apparently  in- 
nocent men,  but  they  had  laid  themselves  open  to  suits  for 
heavy  damages.  They  walked  a  little  way  apart  from  the 
rest  of  the  party,  who  were  now  assembled  in  the  back  yard 
waiting  further  developments. 


THE  DETECTIVES.  65 

Mr.  Lincoln  and  Mr.  Brown  stood  at  the  front  gate  in  a 
very  dissatisfied  frame  of  mind.  Webster  saw  that  the 
search  would  fail  for  want  of  some  one  of  experience  to  con- 
duct it.  He  determined  to  give  them  a  hint,  however,  and 
turning  to  Warden,  whom  he  knew  slightly,  he  said : 

"  I  guess  those  big-bugs  wish  they  had  followed  your  ad- 
vice now.  Won't  they  feel  sick  when  Cook  and  Wallace 
sue  them  ?  I  think  I  shall  go  back  to  town  and  tell  the 
fellows  what  a  mare's  nest  has  been  found." 

"  Yes,  that's  right,"  said  Warden  ;  "  get  up  a  good  crowd 
to  laugh  at  them  when  they  come  in." 

"  I  will  see  old  Walker  and  Leitz,"  added  Webster ;  "  I 
guess  they  can  get  enough  fellows  to  make  it  lively." 

So  saying  Webster  strolled  through  the  house  and  passed 
out  the  front  gate.  As  he  passed  the  two  gentlemen  he 
said  in  a  low  voice  : 

"  Don't  give  up  now  !  Search  the  barn,  and  go  over  the 
house  again.  The  goods  are  here,  and  I  know  it." 

He  hastened  away  before  they  had  time  to  observe  him 
closely,  and,  turning  a  corner,  he  was  soon  out  of  sight. 

"  That  man  is  either  one  of  Pinkerton's  detectives  or 
else  he  wants  to  get  us  into  trouble,"  said  Mr.  Brown  ;  "  the 
voice  was  the  same  as  that  of  the  man  who  spoke  to  me  be- 
fore. Still  he  may  be  telling  the  truth,  and  we  can  soon 
find  out  by  searching  the  barn." 

"  Yes  ;  that  is  what  we  must  do,"  said  Mr.  Lincoln.  "  I 
think  there  must  be  something  wrong,  for  if  not,  why  did  the 
men  run  away  ?  " 

"That's  true;  I  think  we  had  better  make  the  whole  job 


06  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

complete.  You  can  go  into  the  barn  and  I  will  overhaul  the 
house  again.  I  don't  believe  they  made  a  very  thorough 
search,"  said  Mr.  Brown. 

They  therefore  went  back  and  told  the  Marshal  that  they 
wished  him  to  search  the  barn.  Warden  again  interposed, 
and  said  that  Cook  would  bring  double  suits  against  them. 

"All  right,"  said  Mr.  Lincoln;  "we  may  as  well  be  hung 
for  a  sheep  as  a  lamb.  Come  along,  Marshal." 

He  led  the  way  to  the  barn  at  once,  followed  by  Binford 
and  Warden,  both  of  whom  expostulated  with  him  for  con- 
tinuing a  useless  search  on  the  premises  of  honorable,  law- 
abiding  citizens.  At  length  he  became  angry  at  their  lack 
of  zeal  in  the  performance  of  their  duty,  and  on  reaching 
the  barn  he  commenced  searching  the  place  himself.  He 
had  not  been  at  work  five  minutes  before  he  discovered  a 
large  quantity  of  the  stolen  goods  concealed  in  a  manger  ; 
and  further  careful  investigation  brought  to  light  everything 
except  a  couple  of  bundles  of  silks  and  fine  laces.  These 
were  found  soon  afterward  in  the  house,  in  one  of  the  rooms 
which  Warden  had  searched.  The  latter  was  very  much 
surprised  at  the  disclosures,  and  was  especially  astonished 
that  he  should  have  overlooked  anything. 

Cook  and  Wallace  were  of  course  arrested  and  carried 
off  to  jail,  and  the  goods  were  returned  to  Sanders  &  Co., 
who  identified  all  the  articles.  Later  in  the  day  Warden 
engaged  a  lawyer  to  defend  the  prisoners,  and  he  showed  a 
great  degree  of  interest  in  providing  for  their  comfort. 
These  circumstances  led  me  to  advise  Webster  not  to  lose 
light  of  Mr.  Warden,  but  to  take  a  quiet  interest  in  his 


THE  DETECTIVES.  67 

habits ;  for  I  began  to  suspect  that  he  would  soon  be  found 
engaged  in  some  rascality  himself. 

The  examination  of  the  prisoners  took  place  the  next 
morning  ;  and  at  an  early  hour  the  whole  town  was  alive  with 
excited  groups  of  farmers  and  merchants.  In  a  place  like 
Mariola,  where  the  stores  where  not  guarded  at  night,  and 
where  the  locks  and  bolts  on  the  doors  wereyery  frail,  the  ar- 
rest of  any  one  for  burglary  was  a  very  important  matter.  It 
was  especially  exciting  at  this  time,  since  so  many  robberies 
had  been  committed,  while  no  arrests  had  ever  before  been 
made.  The  news  of  the  arrests,  therefore,  spread  with 
great  rapidity,  and  most  of  the  best  citizens  in  the  whole 
township,  together  with  all  the  loafers  and  hard  characters, 
assembled  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Justice's  court-room. 
When  the  doors  were  opened  a  general  rush  was  made,  and 
every  foot  of  space  was  occupied  by  the  eager  throng. 

The  case  was  called  at  once,  but  it  was  necessary  to  clear 
a  passage  for  the  officers  and  their  prisoners  before  the  latter 
could  be  placed  in  the  dock.  At  length  all  was  ready,  and 
the  testimony  was  taken.  Mr.  Saxiders  testified  that  his 
store  had  been  entered  and  a  large  quantity  of  valuable  ar- 
ticles stolen  ;  that  he  afterwards  found  the  goods  in  the  barn 
and  house  occupied  by  the  prisoners  ;  and  that  he  was  able 
to  identify  everything  taken.  The  prisoners'  lawyer  tried 
to  break  down  his  testimony  on  cross-examination  by  asking 
a  great  many  questions  relative  to  the  identification  of  the 
property  ;  but  Mr.  Sanders'  answers  were  very  conclusive, 
and  the  attempt  to  confuse  him  was  a  failure. 

The  remaining  testimony  was  given  by  Marshal  Binford 


68  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

and  several  other  citizens,  all  of  whom  testified  to  the  c  ir- 
cumstances  attending  the  search,  the  flight  of  Cook  and 
Wallace,  and  their  capture.  Neither  Mr.  Lincoln  nor  Mr. 
Brown  was  called  as  a  witness  by  the  prosecution,  since  their 
testimony  was  not  necessary,  and  they  did  not  wish  to  tell 
whence  they  had  received  the  information  which  induced 
them  to  search  the  cottage. 

On  the  conclusion  of  the  hearing  the  prisoners'  attorney 
made  a  violent  speech  in  favor  of  his  clients,  claiming  that 
they  were  honest  citizens  who  had  been  made  the  victims 
of  a  conspiracy.  He  maintained  that  the  goods  found  in 
Cook's  stable  had  not  been  conclusively  shown  to  belong  to 
Sanders  &  Co. ;  and  even  if  the  articles  had  been  stolen,  there 
was  no  evidence  to  connect  the  prisoners  with  the  theft ;  the 
goods  might  easily  have  been  hidden  where  they  were 
found  by  some  one  else,  in  the  absence  of  the  two  men 
from  home.  He  said  that  it  was  a  very  significant  fact  that 
the  prosecution  had  not  called  as  witnesses  the  men  who 
had  been  most  active  in  dragging  his  clients  ignominiously 
to  jail,  against  the  remonstrances  of  many  other  good  citi- 
zens. He  then  moved  that  his  clients  be  discharged  on 
the  ground  of  insufficient  evidence.  This  being  refused  by 
the  Justices,  he  called  several  witnesses  to  prove  that  the  pris- 
oners had  been  away  from  home  a  great  deal  since  the  rob- 
bery, and  others  to  prove  the  previous  good  character  of 
the  accused  ;  he  then  rested  his  case. 

Justice  Green,  after  a  short  consultation  with  the  two  othei 
Justices  sitting  with  him,  announced  that  the  prisoners 
would  be  held  to  appear  before  the  Grand  Jury  under  bonds 


THE  DETECTIVES.  69 

of  two  thousand  dollars  each.  As  this  amount  of  bail  was 
beyond  their  means  to  furnish,  they  were  remanded  to  jail. 
The  result  of  the  preliminary  examination  was  highly  grati- 
fying to  the  respectable  portion  of  the  community,  though 
there  was  much  dissatisfaction  expressed  among  the  loafer 
class  at  the  large  bail-bond  required.  Webster  had  been 
cultivating  Warden's  acquaintance  since  he  had  witnessed 
the  latter's  actions  during  the  search,  and  they  stood  to- 
gether during  the  trial.  When  the  decision  was  announced 
Webster  spoke  up  in  a  voice  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by 
several  of  the  loafers  around  him  : 

"  That  is  an  outrageous  amount  of  bail  to  require  from  two 
poor  men ;  of  course  they  cannot  furnish  it,  and  they  will 
have  to  go  to  jail.  It  is  all  the  worse  from  the  fact  that  the 
goods  have  been  recovered,  and  I  consider  the  decision  an 
act  of  gross  injustice." 

"  Well,  what  could  you  expect?"  asked  Warden.  "The 
big-bugs  are  down  on  them,  and  there  is  no  justice  here  for 
a  poor  man." 

"You  are  quite  right,"  replied  Webster,  "and  I  think  you 
have  a  very  sensible  idea  of  the  way  we  are  treated.  The 
only  thing  for  us  to  do  is  to  stick  together  as  they  do ; 
come,  let's  take  a  drink." 

The  invitation  was  promptly  accepted,  and  in  a  short  time 
Warden  became  quite  pleased  with  Webster's  style  of  con- 
versation. When  they  parted  it  was  with  the  understand- 
ing that  they  should  become  better  acquainted. 

When  the  crowd  passed  out  of  the  court-room  Hays  did 
not  accompany  Walker  andLeitz  immediately,  as  he  wished^ 


70  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

to  hear  what  was  the  general  sentiment  about  Cook  and 
Wallace.  He  found  that  nearly  every  one  was  convinced 
of  their  guilt,  and  that  Mr.  Lincoln  was  credited  with  having 
detected  them  himself;  no  one  even  suggested  that  any  de- 
tectives were  engaged  in  the  affair.  When  most  of  the  peo- 
ple had  gone  home,  Hays  went  to  Walker's  restaurant  and 
found  the  place  crowded.  He  remained  only  a  short  time 
and  then  went  to  the  Tremont  House  to  dinner.  In  the 
evening  he  returned  to  the  restaurant  and  found  Walker  in 
high  good  humor.  His  bar  had  been  well  patronized  all 
day,  and  he  had  had  over  one  hundred  persons  at  dinner,  so 
that  his  profits  had  been  very  large.  He  was  delighted  to 
see  Hays,  as  he  wished  some  one  to  talk  to. 

"  I  don't  believe  Cook  stole  those  goods,"  he  said  ;  "but 
I  know  nothing  about  Wallace,  and  perhaps  he  did  the  job. 
I  hope  Leitz  will  come  over  this  evening,  for  I  want  to  have 
a  good  social  talk  with  him.  By  the  way,  Hays,  are  you  a 
mason  ?  " 

"  No  ;  I  am  not,"  replied  Hays  cautiously,  uncertain  how 
to  reply.  "  I  have  been  thinking  of  joining  the  order  for 
some  time,  but  I  have  been  prevented  in  various  ways.  To 
tell  the  truth,  I  have  been  trying  to  find  the  right  kind  of  a 
lodge,  containing  such  men  as  you  and  Leitz  ;  then  I  shall 
perhaps  take  the  first  degrees." 

"  You  will  be  better  off  if  you  have  nothing  to  do  with 
the  masons  of  any  lodge.  Men  like  Ben  Leitz  and  me  can 
keep  our  own  secrets  without  taking  a  crowd  into  our  con- 
fidence. It  doesn't  take  me  long  to  'tell  whom  I  can  trust ; 
and  as  I  thought  I  could  trust  you  I  wanted  to  find  out 


•£ 
o 


THE  DETECTIVES.  71 

whether  you  were  bound  to  any  secret  society.     Now  that 

• 

I  know  you  are  not,  I  would  be  willing  to  teli  you  any  of 
my  secrets." 

"  I  feel  just  that  way  toward  you  also,"  said  Hays,  "  and 
I  should  like  to  tell  you  something  about  myself,  so  as  to 
get  your  opinion  and  advice." 

"  Well,  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  it,"  answered  Walker  : 
"  you  can  wait  until  after  I  shut  up  for  the  night  and  tell  me 
your  secret  here." 

Hays  glanced  around  to  see  that  he  was  not  overheard  by 
any  one,  and  then  said  : 

"  All  right,  Walker  ;  I  feel  that  I  can  trust  you.  You 
must  swear  not  to  reveal  the  story,  and  I  will  tell  you  all. 
I  want  your  advice  very  much,  and  I  shall  place  my  liberty 
and  life  in  your  hands." 

Walker  brought  his  clenched  fist  down  on  the  bar  with  an 
oath,  and  added  exultingly : 

"  Never  fear  me  ;  I'll  stick  closer  to  you  than  a  brother." 

Hays  then  strolled  over  to  one  of  the  tables  in  the  saloon 
and  remained  there  all  the  evening  gambling  for  small 
stakes.  He  won  two  or  three  dollars,  and  still  further 
excited  the  admiration  of  the  old  habitues  of  the  place  by 
his  expertness  as  a  gambler.  Leitz  was  playing  at  another 
table,  and  there  were  many  customers  present  all  the  even- 
ing. They  began  to  go  away  about  ten  o'clock,  and  at 
length  Walker,  Leitz,  and  Hays  were  left  together.  Walker 
locked  his  doors,  pulled  down  the  window-shades,  and  put 
out  all  the  lights  but  one  ;  then  he  drew  Hays  to  one  side 
and  said: 


72  THE  MODEL    TOWN. 

"  I  wish  you  would  take  Leitz  into  your  confidence,  for 
we  are  old  partners,  and  we  always  work  together  in  every- 
thing. You  needn't  be  afraid  to  trust  him,  for  I  would  put 
myself  into  his  hands  without  any  hesitation.  He  can  advise 
you  better  than  I  can,  and  he  ought  to  know  something 
about  you,  since,  if  you  work  with  me,  he  will  be  more  or 
less  mixed  up  in  it.  What  do  you  say  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  have  no  objection,"  said  Hays  with  great  delib- 
eration, at  the  same  time  rolling  a  huge  chew  of  tobacco 
from  one  cheek  to  the  other  ;  "  if  you  trust  Mr.  Leitz  your- 
self, I  do  not  ask  any  other  guarantee." 

"  That's  right,  Hays  ;  you  stick  to  me  and  I'll  help  you 
to  a  good  job,"  exclaimed  Walker,  delightedly.  "  Come, 
now,  let's  take  a  drink  and  go  into  the  back  room  ;  we  can 
talk  there  without  fear  of  being  disturbed." 

They  gathered  around  the  stove  in  the  back  room,  and 
Walker  placed  a  large  bottle  of  whiskey  on  a  table  close  by. 
A  few  lemons,  a  bowl  of  sugar,  several  glasses,  spoons,  and 
a  hot-water  jug  were  at  hand,  and  all  the  arrangements  were 
completed  to  spend  the  night  in  talking  and  drinking  to- 
gether. Hays  then  commenced  his  story. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

"  T  HAD  been  living  in  Cairo  for  some  time  previous  to 
-*-  the  events  I  am  about  to  relate,  and  I  had  grown  tired 
of  working  for  nothing  but  a  bare  living.  About  six  months 
ago  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  man  named  Marsh,  who 
owned  quite  a  large  brewery  on  the  levee.  He  was  doing 
a  fair  business,  but  he  wanted  to  get  into  something  which 
would  pay  better.  He  tried  to  sell  out  several  times,  but 
as  he  could  not  get  any  one  to  pay  his  price,  he  determined 
to  sell  out  to  an  insurance  company.  For  this  purpose  he 
insured  the  stock  and  buildings  for  a  large  amount,  and 
then  began  to  cultivate  my  acquaintance.  At  length  he 
made  a  plain  offer  to  give  me  one-fourth  of  what  he  re- 
ceived for  insurance  if  I  would  set  fire  to  his  brewery.  I 
thought  there  was  no  risk  in  it,  and  so  I  consented.  He 
gave  me  a  key  to  a  side  door,  and  said  that  he  should  go  to 
St.  Louis  for  a  day  or  two,  leaving  his  foreman  in  charge. 
During  his  absence  I  was  to  slip  into  the  building  and  set 
fire  to  it  near  the  furnace.  Everything  was  arranged  satis- 
factorily, and  at  the  appointed  time  Mr.  Marsh  left  town. 

"  As  I  was  intending  to  burn  it  the  next  night,  I  was 

anxious  to  see  how  the  place  looked  in    the   night-time ; 

therefore  I  went  down  the  levee  about  two  o'clock  in  the 

morning.     On   approaching   the  brewery  I  found  a  large 

4 


74  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

barge  alongside  the  levee,  and  a  number  of  men  were  busily 
engaged  in  rolling  kegs  of  beer  into  it.  Every  particle  of 
stock  was  thus  removed,  and  before  daylight  the  barge  cast 
off  from  the  levee,  and  dropped  down  stream.  I  saw  that 
his  object,  of  course,  was  to  get  the  insurance  in  full,  while 
at  the  same  time  he  would  get  the  value  of  the  stock  by 
selling  it  in  Kentucky  or  Missouri.  The  insurance  com- 
panies would  know  nothing  about  the  removal  of  the  stock, 
hence  they  would  pay  the  insurance  upon  it  as  if  it  had 
been  destroyed.  This  did  not  concern  me,  except  that  I 
determined  to  get  my  share  of  the  additional  profit  which 
he  would  make. 

"  The  next  night  I  went  to  my  boarding-place  about 
nine  o'clock ;  I  acted  as  if  I  was  almost  dead  drunk,  so  that 
my  friends  carried  me  to  my  room  and  put  me  in  bed. 
About  midnight  I  dressed  myself  noiselessly,  slipped  out 
of  the  house,  and  went  straight  to  the  brewery.  I  found 
plenty  of  kindling  stuff,  and  I  made  a  large  pile  of  it — too 
large,  as  1  soon  discovered.  After  lighting  it  I  put  a 
blanket  over  it  to  hide  it  until  I  should  be  far  away.  I 
then  hurried  out.  The  flames  spread  so  rapidly,  however, 
that  the  whole  interior  ^yas  in  a  light  blaze  before  I  could 
get  off  the  levee,  and  the  light  instantly  attracted  the 
notice  of  the  watchman  at  a  neighboring  warehouse.  He 
caught  sight  of  me  at  the  same  moment,  and  he  immediately 
gave  chase,  shouting  '  Stop  thief ! ' 

"  He  gained  rapidly  upon  me,  and  his  cries  soon  aroused 
a  number  of  other  people.  By  this  time  the  flames  were 
burning  fiercely — as  the  brewery  was  very  old  and  dry — and 


THE  DETECTIVES.  75 

the  light  was  so  great  that  I  feared  being  recognized  by 
some  one.  I  therefore  dodged  around  a  corner  and  waited 
for  the  watchman  to  come  up.  As  he  passed  me  under  full 
headway  I  struck  him  a  powerful  blow  with  my  fist,  intend- 
ing to  stun  him.  He  dropped  instantly,  and  I  escaped  any 
further  notice.  I  reached  my  boarding-house  and  got  into 
bed  without  being  seen  or  heard.  The  next  morning  the 
whole  city  was  excited  over  the  incendiarism  and  probable 
murder.  The  watchman  had  been  struck  on  the  jugular 
vein  in  the  neck,  and  his  condition  was  very  serious. 
Several  parties  were  arrested  on  suspicion,  but  they  were 
discharged  on  examination.  No  one  suspected  me,  but  I 
learned  that  the  case  was  to  be  put  into  the  hands  of 
Pinkerton,  of  Chicago,  and  then  I  decided  to  leave. 

"  When  Marsh  came  back  I  asked  him  for  my  share  of 
the  insurance  money.  He  said  that  I  had  done  the  job  in 
such  a  bungling  way  that  it  was  doubtful  whether  the  com- 
panies would  pay  anything ;  moreover  I  had  killed  a  man, 
and  the  result  might  be  a  hanging  matter  for  me.  He  then 
said  that  he  could  give  me  only  fifty  dollars,  and  that  I  had 
better  run  away  before  I  was  arrested. 

"  He  scared  me  a  good  deal,  and  I  left  there  that  night. 
Since  then  I  have  learned  that  the  watchman  has  partly 
recovered,  but  his  right  side  is  wholly  paralyzed,  and  he 
cannot  move  about.  I. have  also  learned  that  Marsh  col- 
lected all  his  insurance  without  difficulty,  since  no  one  sus- 
pected him  of  having  had  anything  to  do  with  the  fire. 
The  fact  is,  he  has  played  a  pretty  sharp  trick  on  me,  and  I 
tvant  to  get  even  with  him  ;  but  I  am  afraid  he  will  have 


76  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

me  arrested  if  I  make  any  fuss.  You  see  I  have  no  hold  on 
him  at  all.  He  got  twelve  thousand  dollars,  and  I  ought  to 
have  one-fourth.  Now,  gentlemen,  I  have  put  my  safety  in 
your  hands,  and  have  trusted  you  more  than  I  ever  trusted 
any  one  before  ;  but  I  have  the  utmost  confidence  in  you 
and  I  wish  you  to  give  me  your  advice." 

"  Well,  Hays,  you're  a  trump,"  said  old  Walker,  enthusi- 
astically ;  "  I  knew  you  were  from  the  first — I  am  never 
mistaken  in  a  man.  You  did  just  right,  and  we  will  help 
you  to  get  the  money  that  fellow  owes  you,  won't  we, 
Leitz  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  think  we  can  manage  it,"  said  Leitz,  thought- 
fully. ';  As  for  the  watchman,  I  would  have  served  him  the 
same  myself." 

"Ha!  ha!  ha!  of  course,  you  would,"  laughed  old 
Walker.  "  You  have  done  the  same  scores  of  times. 
Come,  let's  have  a  good  drink  ;  talking  is  dry  work." 

After  drinking  together  they  sat  and  discussed  Hays' 
difficulty.  Leitz  finally  said  that  there  was  one  way  in 
which  they  might  be  able  to  squeeze  the  money  out  of 
Marsh  :  Hays  might  write  to  him  that  he  knew  all  about 
the  way  in  which  the  brewery  was  emptied  of  its  stock  the 
night  before  the  fire  ;  that  he  knew  how  the  insurance  had 
been  obtained  on  property  which  was  not  burned ;  and 
that  if  Marsh  still  refused  to  pay .  Hays  the  share  agreed 
upon  for  setting  fire  to  the  brewery,  the  latter  would  get  a 
friend  to  write  a  full  account  of  the  transaction  to  the  in- 
surance companies,  so  that  they  would  arrest  Marsh  for 
arson  and  for  fraud. 


THE  DETECTIVES.  77 

This  plan  was  agreed  upon  as  being  the  most  feasible  one, 
and  they  all  drank  success  to  the  scheme.  By  this  time 
both  Leitz  and  Walker  were  somewhat  under  the  influence 
of  liquor,  and  their  tongues  were  loosened  to  an  unusual 
degree. 

"Come,  Leitz,  tell  Hays  your  story,"  said  Walker;  "he 
has  placed  confidence  in  us,  and  we  ought  to  show  the  same 
trust  in  him." 

"All  right;  I'm  willing,  though  it  isn't  very  interesting," 
replied  Leitz,  taking  another  drink. 

He  then  gave  a  brief  account  of  his  early  life,  which  was 
passed  near  Ogdensburgh,  New  York.  He  stated  that  .he 
was  a  free-and-easy  kind  of  a  fellow  until  the  time  of  the 
iUcKenzie  rebellion  in  Canada,  in  1838.  He  was  then  a 
young  man  of  loose  habits,  and  his  mind  was  fired  with  the 
idea  of  becoming  one  of  the  liberators  of  Canada  from 
British  rule.  When  McICenzie  organized  his  expedition  on 
the  Canada  frontier,  seized  the  steamer  Caroline,  and  made 
his  raid  upon  Toronto,  Leitz  joined  the  rebel  forces,  an  1 
entered  the  city  among  the  first.  They  soon  broke  their 
ranks  and  began  plundering  the  shop-keepers  and  other 
citizens.  Leitz  finally  entered  the  house  of  a  wealthy  banker 
and  demanded  his  money ;  on  being  told  that  there  was  only 
a  small  sum  of  money  in  the  house,  Leitz  again  insisted  on 
receiving  a  large  amount.  By  this  time  the  Canadian 
volunteers  were  driving  back  the  straggling  bands  of  rebels, 
and  Leitz  told  the  gentleman  that  if  at  least  one  hundred 
guineas  were  not  immediately  produced,  he  would  kill  the 
whole  family.  At  this  some  of  the  women  rushed  out 


78  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

screaming,  and  Leitz  shot  the  old  man  dead.  Before  he 
had  time  to  search  for  money  he  heard  the  approach  of  the 
Canadians  in  the  street,  and  he  was  forced  to  escape  by  the 
back  way.  He  succeeded  in  avoiding  capture  and  reached 
the  frontier  in  safety  ;  but  the  search  became  so  hot  for  the 
murderer  of  the  Toronto  banker,  that  he  thought  best  to 
1  javc  that  part  of  the  country.  He  therefore  travelled  west 
and  settled  at  Mariola,  where  he  was  joined  by  his  wife,  and 
where  he  had  remained  ever  since. 

".That  shows  you  what  a  devil  of  a  fellow  Leitz  is,"  said 
Walker.  "  Besides,  he  never  goes  back  on  his  word,  and  he 
isn't  afraid  of  anything.  Now  you  shall  hear  my  story  :  I 
was  born  in  New  York,  where  I  grew  up  like  a  weed  until 
I  was  about  twenty-two  years  old.  Then  I  was  caught 
'  shoving  the  queer,'  *  and  was  '  sent  up '  for  five  years. 
Well,  I  served  my  time,  and  when  I  came  out  I  went  in 
with  some  friends  of  mine  who  were  first-class  *  coney ' 
men.f  I  made  a  heap  of  money  and  secured  it  by  putting 
all  my  property  in  my  wife's  name.  Finally  I  was  caught 
and  was  '  sent  up '  for  ten  years.  I  was  pardoned  out  in 
six  years,  however,  as  I  was  rapidly  dying  of  consumption." 

Here  he  paused  to  laugh  immoderately,  as  if  he  thought 
it  was  a  good  joke,  and  then  continued  : 

"  Well,  I  went  at  once  to  see  my  wife,  but  I  found  that 
she  had  obtained  a  divorce  from  me,  and  that  she  utterly 

*  Passing  counterfeit  money. 

f  Counterfeiters  are  called  "coney"  men  or  "  coniackers,"  the  terms 
being  applied  only  to  those  who  manufacture  bogus  coin  for  others  to 
pass.  They  rarely  handle  it  themselves. 


THE  DETECTIVES.  79 

repudiated  me.  I  didn't  mind  losing  her  so  much,  but  she 

had  secure  possession  of  all  my  hard  earned  savings,  

• her. 

Walker  paused  to  take  a  drink,  and  the  expression  of  his 
face  plainly  showed  that  he  was  disgusted  with  such  a  lack 
of  honesty  on  the  part  of  his  wife.  He  actually  felt  that  she 
had  stolen  from  him  all  the  money  he  had  saved,  and  no 
honest  mechanic,  who  had  earned  his  living  and  saved 
money  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow,  could  have  shown  a  greater 
degree  of  virtuous  indignation  than  was  depicted  in  the  face 
of  that  hoary  old  scoundrel. 

"  When  I  found  that  my  wife  would  not  give  up  any  of 
my  money,  I  went  to  Texas  in  the  hope  of  making  a  fortune 
in  a  new  country.  I  kept  the  company  of  a  wild  crowd  all 
the  time,  and  a  mistake  about  a  horse  caused  me  to  leave 
Texas  in  some  haste.  I  then  started  a  restaurant  in  New 
Orleans,  and  succeeded  very  well ;  but  I  cannot  endure 
slavery,  and  so  I  travelled  north.  Most  abolitionists  mix 
up  a  good  deal  of  pious  cant  in  their  theories,  but  I  am  not 
one  of  that  sort.  Finally  I  settled  here,  and  I  have  done 
well  enough  so  far  :  but  the  teetotallers  and  pious  people 
are  persecuting  me  worse  now  than  the  Southern  fire-eaters 
ever  did  in  New  Orleans  for  being  an  abolitionist.  They 
are  all  fanatics,  and  they  will  not  listen  to  reason  ;  what  with 
their  praying  and  preaching  they  are  determined  to  ruin  my 
business  and  to  prevent  me  from  earning  my  living  honestly. 
Well,  I  guess  I'm  about  even  with  'em;  it  ain't  necessary 
to  say  anything  about  that,"  he  continued,  with  a  knowing 
wink  at  Leitz  ;  "  but  they  haven't  as  many  churches  as  they 


SO  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

once  had.  I  was  willing  to  cry  quits  with  them  after  the 
churches  burned,  but  they  began  to  bring  the  subject  up  in 
the  school.  When  the  children  passed  me,  they  would  point 
at  me  and  cry :  '  There  goes  the  wicked  rum-seller  ! '  and  then 
they  would  congregate  around  my  saloon  and  sing  temper- 
ance songs  and  such  slush.  I  told  them  they  had  better 
leave  me  alone  ;-  but  they  kept  it  up,  and  now  the  children 
haven't  any  place  to  go  to  school,  and  they  don't  bother  me 
any  more.  Ha !  ha  !  ha  !  I  guess  I  know  how  to  protect 
myself." 

"  You  served  them  just  right,"  drawled  Hays ;  "  they 
had  no  right  to  intefere  in  your  business." 

"  Of  course  not,"  said  Leitz  ;  "  Walker  has  a  legal  li- 
cense, and  he  has  as  good  a  right  to  sell  liquor  as  they  have 
to  sell  groceries  or  dry-goods." 

"Are  you  doing  anything  in  the  'coney'  line  now?" 
asked  Hays. 

"  No  ;  I  have  quit  that  business.  I  can  make  money 
fast  enough  by  selling  liquor,  if  these  praying  cusses  will 
leave  me  alone.  Besides,  Leitz  and  I  have  a  way  of  making 
money  which  we  will  tell  you  when  the  time  comes." 

"How  do  you  suppose  Cook  and  Wallace  got  those 
goods  ?  "  asked  Hays. 

"  Well,  I  think  they  were  working  with  Warden,"  said 
Leitz.  "They  aren't  smart  enough  to  have  done  the  job 
alone.  Do  you  like  Warden,  Walker  ?  " 

"  No  ;  I  wouldn't  trust  him.  He  brags  a  good  deal,  but 
he  would  be  sure  to  go  back  on  any  one  that  trusted  him,  if 
necessary  to  save  himself." 


THE  DETECTIVES.  81 

"  That  is  my  opinion  too,"  said  Hays. 

"Well,  I  must  be  going,"  said  Leitz ;  "it  is  after  one 
o'clock." 

Walker  went  to  the  door  with  Lietz,  and  cautiously  closed 
it  after  him.  When  he  returned,  Hays  said  : 

"  Leitz  is  a  splendid  fellow,  but  what  do  you  think  of 
A  [organ?" 

"  Oh  !  he's  well  enough,  only  he's  a  little  soft.  He  has 
been  in  the  penitentiary  twice,"  said  Walker. 

"  Is  it  possible !     What  was  it  for  ?  " 

"  Once  for  stealing,  and  the  second  time  for  passing  coun 
terfeit  money.  He  hasn't  any  grit,  and  he  begged  out  each 
time." 

"  Do  you  think  he  fired  the  elevator  the  other  night  ?  I 
partly  though  b  so  myself;  but,  as  you  say,  he  doesn't  seem 
to  have  the  nerve  to  do  such  a  thing." 

"  Oh  !  I  dont  know,"  said  Walker,  with  a  yawn  ;  "  I'll 
talk  about  that  some  other  time." 

Well,  I  must  go,"  said  Hays,  taking  the  hint.     "Good- 
light  ;  I  will  see  you  again  soon."     So  saying  he  departed. 


c 


CHAPTER  IX. 


LARK  made  good  use  of  his  time  during  Wolff's  ab- 


sence. By  cultivating  the  friendship  of  Mrs.  Black, 
the  housekeeper,  he  was  able  to  learn,  with  no  apparent 
effort,  all  that  she  knew  about  the  hotel-keeper  and  his 
friends.  It  was  Wolff's  custom  to  go  away  nearly  every 
month  for  two  or  three  days,  and  on  his  return  he  always 
had  plenty  of  money. 

It  was  more  than  a  week  before  he  returned  from  his  trip, 
and  he  was  in  high  spirits.  Clark  rendered  a  full  account  of 
all  that  had  occurred  during  his  stewardship,  and  Wolff 
showed  perfect  satisfaction  with  everything. 

"  Has  Davis  been  here  while  I  was  away  ?  "  he  asked, 
finally. 

"  Oh  !  yes ;  he  has  been  here  nearly  every  day,  and  I  had 
to  chalk  down  a  great  many  drinks  to  him.  He  brought  com- 
pany several  times,  and  they  often  took  meals  here,  so  that 
the  bill  is  quite  large.  Mrs.  Black  said  that  she  thought  it 
was  all  right,  and  he  told  me  that  you  let  him  have  every- 
thing he  wanted  on  credit,  so  I  made  no  objection." 

"Yes  ;  that's  all  right ;  I  meant  to  have  told  you  about 
him  before  I  went,  but  I  forgot  it.  We  have  dealings 
together,  and  I  guess  he  will  be  here  soon  to  see  me." 

Davis  was  the  watchmaker  whose  shop  I  had  entered, 


THE  DETECTIVES.  83 

and  who  seemed  so  lazy  and  careless  about  getting  a  job. 
I  had  told  Clark  to  make  his  acquaintance,  as  I  suspected 
that  he  and  Wolff  were  partners  in  some  rascality. 

In  a  day  or  two  after  Wolff's  return,  four  men  arrived  at 
night  and  took  the  best  rooms  in  the  house.  They  had 
their  meals  in  a  separate  room,  and  no  one  knew  that  they 
were  there  except  the  three  regular  inmates  of  the  hotel. 
Davis  came  over  every  day,  but  he  never  stopped  more  than 
a  few  minutes.  He  would  talk  to  Wolff  for  a  moment,  and 
then  they  would  go  up-stairs.  After  one  drink  at  the  bai 
he  wotild  hurry  home,  as  if  anxious  to  avoid  observation. 

One  evening  Clark  and  Wolff  were  sitting  by  the  fire, 
when  the  former  made  some  allusion  to  Davis,  to  which 
Wolff  replied  that  Davis  was  one  of  his  best  friends. 

"I  hope  he  is  doing  well,"  said  Clark,  "but  I  am  afraid 
his  business  doesn't  pay  very  well  just  now." 

"  Oh  !  yes  it  does,"  said  Wolff,  with  a  sly  laugh  ;  "  there 
are  not  many  watchmakers  in  the  country  who  are  making 
money  so  fast  as  Davis.  It  takes  a  man  of  uncommon 
ability  to  turn  out  such  work  as  this,"  he  continued,  taking 
a  roll  of  counterfeit  five-dollar  gold  pieces  from  his  pocket. 

Clark  examined  them  carefully  and  exclaimed  in  admi- 
ration : 

"  Did  he  make  these  ?  they  are  the  best  I  ever  saw !  I 
am  pretty  well  posted  on  this  kind  of  work,  but  I  believe  I 
should  have  been  fooled  by  these  shiners  myself." 

At  that  moment  footsteps  were  heard  approaching,  and 
Clark  slipped  the  money  into  his  pocket  just  as  several  cus- 
tomers entered  the  bar-room. 


84  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

They  remained  until  about  nine  o'clock,  and  on  their 
departure  Clark  gave  back  the  coin  to  Wolff,  with  the 
remark  that  he  should  like  to  get  some  like  it. 

"Well,  I  will  see  to  that  by-and-by,"  said  Wolff ;  "but 
don't  talk  to  Davis  about  it,  for  he  is  such  a  nervous,  faint- 
hearted fellow  that  you  might  frighten  him.  While  I  was 
away  I  sold  over  twelve  hundred  dollars  in  bogus  coin.  I 
sell  it  as  fast  as  Davis  can  make  it,  at  fifty  per  cent,  of  its 
nominal  value.  Those  four  fellows  up-stairs  are  waiting  for 
a  lot  of  it.  They  expected  to  have  found  it  ready  for  them, 
for  they  don't  usually  come  until  I  have  a  good  supply  ;-but 
Davis  is  lazy,  and  he  will  not  work  much  while  I'm  away." 

"  I  should   think  it  would  be    to   his   interest  to  work 
steadily,"  said  Clark. 

"  Yes  ;  it  is  of  course  ;  but  his  work  is  very  hard,  as  he 
has  to  do  it  at  night  in  a  very  uncomfortable  workshop.  He 
has  a  fine  set  of  tools  and  dies,  however,  and  he  can  turn 
out  a  great  deal  in  a  short  time.  I  must  go  up-stairs  now  to 
see  my  four  customers ;  won't  you  come  up  and  make  their 
acquaintance  ?  " 

"You  are  sure  they  are  all  trustworthy?"  asked  Clark, 
cautiously. 

"Oh!  yes,  indeed.  Come  along;  they  will  be  glad  to 
know  you." 

.  Clark  was  introduced  to  them  all  by  Wolff,  who  vouched 
for  his  character  (or  rather  lack  of  character)  in  the  most 
flattering  terms.  In  fact,  he  whispered  to  one  of  the  gang 
that  Clark  was  one  of  the  most  skilful  bank-robbers  in  the 
ivhole  country  ;  on  receiving  this  information  their  ivspccl 


THE  DETECTIVES.  85 

for  him  was  vastly  increased,  and  they  all  showed  a  great 
anxiety  to  cultivate  his  friendship.  They  drank  and  played 
cards  until  a  late  hour,  and  it  was  nearly  day-break  before 
Clark  went  to  bed.  He  remained  up  in  order  to  write  me 
an  account  of  the  discoveries  he  had  made,  as  he  feared 
the  men  would  get  their  bogus  coin  next  day.  He  did  not 
sleep  over  two  hours  before  it  was  time  to  take  his  letter  to 
the  depot  in  order  to  catch  the  early  train. 

On  receiving  his  letter,  I  replied  instantly,  telling  him  to 
learn  the  route  the  men  intended  to  take,  and  to  telegraph 
to  me  the  instant  they  started.  I  then  called  on  the  United 
States  Marshal  and  told  him  that  I  had  discovered  a  nest  of 
counterfeiters,  whom  I  desired  to  arrest  myself  at  my  own 
discretion,  as  I  did  not  wish  to  expose  my  plans  in  another 
operation.  At  my  request,  therefore,  the  Marshal  swore  in 
George  H.  Bangs,  my  superintendent,  as  a  Deputy  Mar- 
shal. The  latter  then  held  himself  in  readiness  to  go  at  a 
moment's  notice. 

In  two  days  Clark  wrote  that  the  men  would  start  the 
following  day.  They  had  received  about  fourteen  hundred 
dollars  in  ten  and  five-dollar  gold  pieces,  and  a  large  sum  in 
silver  fifty-cent  pieces.  They  intended  travelling  rapidly  to 
Tennessee,  where  the  money  could  be  passed  without  'sus- 
picion. Clark  had  previously  sent  an  accurate  description 
of  the  men,  so  that  I  anticipated  no  difficulty  in  capturing 
them.  As  I  knew  the  road  they  were  to  take,  I  sent  Bangs 
to  intercept  them  at  the  junction  of  another  road  about 
twenty  miles  from  Mariola.  I  also  telegraphed  to  the 
sheriff  of  a  comity  about  one  hundred  miles  further  along 


86  THE  MODEL    TOWN". 

on  the  same  road,  asking  him  to  meet  Bangs  on  the  train  at 
the  depot  of  the  principal  town  in  that  county.  I  tol'd  him 
that  he  would  need  several  assistants,  as  there  were  foui 
desperate  men  to  be  arrested. 

The  next  day  Clark  telegraphed  to  me  that  the  men  had 
left,  and  I  soon  received  a  despatch  from  Bangs  stating  that 
he  had  discovered*  the  quartet  of  counterfeit-passers,  and 
that  he  should  keep  them  in  view  until  he  reached  the  place 
where  I  had  decided  to  arrest  them. 

Bangs  found  them  occupying  widely  distant  seats,  acting 
as  if  they  were  totai  strangers  to  each  other.  He  had  no 
difficulty  in  recognizing  them,  however,  and  when  the  train 
reached  the  point  agreed  upon,  where  the  sheriff  came  on 
board  with  three  deputies,  Bangs  designated  the  four  whom 
he  wished  arrested.  The  arrests  were  made  at  night,  and  the 
men  offered  no  resistance.  They  were  taken  into  a  private 
room  at  the  station,  and  were  immediately  searched.  Over 
fifteen  hundred  dollars  of  counterfeit  gold  coin  and  about 
three  hundred  dollars  in  bogus  silver  coin  were  found  upon 
their  persons  and  in  their  satchels.  They  all  gave  fictitious 
names,  but  my  warrants  were  good  enough  to  hold  them, 
especially  in  view  of  the  discovery  of  the  bogus  coin.  Bangs 
brought  them  immediately  to  Chicago,  and  United  States 
Commissioner  Meeker  held  them  for  trial  under  bonds  of 
fifteen  hundred  dollars  each. 


CHAPTER  X. 

WHILE  Webster  was  idling  about  town  he  chanced  tc 
make  the  acquaintance  of  a  farmer  named  James 
Curran.  He  was  a  good-natured,  honest-looking,  jolly 
Irishman,  about  fifty-five  years  of  age,  and  he  was  known  far 
and  wide  as  "  Jimmy."  He  lived  on  his  farm  about  nine 
miles  from  Mariola,  and  his  reputation  was  untarnished  by 
even  the  suspicion  of  wrong-doing.  His  wife  was  a  comely, 
contented  German,  and  they  had  four  children.  His 
farm  was  quite  small,  but  he  seemed  to  work  it  to  great 
advantage,  as  he  sold  a  great  deal  of  produce  to  Mariola 
merchants. 

Webster  was  a  remarkably  keen  observer,  and  he  soon 
noticed  that  Jimmy  came  to  town  at  least  once  a  week,  and 
sometimes  oftener.  His  loads  usually  consisted  of  poultry, 
eggs,  butter,  lard,  hides,  etc.,  and  the  quantities  of  these 
articles  were  sog^feat  that  Webster's  attention  was  attracted. 
He  thought  that  probably  Jimmy  was  all  right,  but  still 
there  could  be  no  harm  in  looking  after  him  a  little.  He 
noticed  that  Jimmy  always  came  to  town  in  the  forenoon, 
and  after  selling  his  load  he  spent  the  day  in  the  saloons, 
though  he  never  became  drunk.  Then  he  would  get  supper 
and  start  home  a  little  after  seven  o'clock.  This  was  rather 
peculiar,  since  by  starting  two  hours  earlier  he  would  have 
daylight  to  travel  by  and  would  save  the  price  of  his  supper. 


88  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

Webster  began  to  interest  himself  in  Curran's  movements,, 
and  he  frequently  met  the  farmer  at  saloons ;  after  a  time 
they  became  quite  intimate,  and  Curran  showed  a  great 
partiality  for  Webster's  society.  It  was  ( therefore  easy  for 
Webster  to  keep  a  good  watch  upon  him  without  exciting 
suspicion. 

The  season  was  a  very  open  one,  and  the  water-fowl  be- 
gan to  fly  early  ;  Webster  was  fond  of  hunting,  and  he 
determined  to  visit  Curran's  house  while  out  on  a  shooting 
expedition,  as  he  was  anxious  to  learn  something  about  thr 
farm  which  was  so  enormously  productive.  In  fact,  bj 
this  time,  he  had  reached  the  conclusion  that  Jimmy  Curran 
was  either  a  notorious  thief  or  else  the  receiver  of  goods 
stolen  by  others.  Accordingly  he  left  Mariola  early  in  the 
morning,  and  by  good  luck  and  skilful  shooting  he  had  a 
well-filled  game-bag  on  arriving  at  Curran's  house.  Jimmy 
was  very  glad  to  see  him,  and  so  was  Mrs.  Curran,  a  plump, 
neat  German.  They  stayed  about  the  house  until  noon, 
when  a  fine  dinner  was  served. 

While  indoors  Webster  was  engaged  in  making  a  mental 
inventory  of  the  contents  of  the  house,  though  he  did  not 
appear  to  observe  anything.  He  was  particularly  struck 
with  the  furniture,  knick-knacks,  modern  conveniences,  and 
ornaments  which  were  scattered  about  in  great  profusion. 
When  they  sat  down  to  dinner  he  noticed  that  the  table- 
ware was  of  the  finest  quality,  and  there  were  several 
luxuries  among  the  dishes  which  seemed  quite  out  of  place 
in  such  a  household.  After  dinner  they  took  a  walk  about 
the' barn  and  tin-  onl-houses.  where  Webster  observed  a 


THE  DETECTIVES.  89 

number  of  suspicious  signs.  In  the  tool-house  he  saw 
about  four  or  five  dozen  axes,  nearly  as  many  saws,  several 
kegs  of  nails,  a  dozen  large  grind-stones,  and  many  other 
things  in  the  same  proportion.  They  were  all  new,  and 
most  of  the  articles  were  in  their  original  packages,  just  as 
they  were  sold  in  the  stores.  The  quantity  of  tools  was  so 
great  that  Webster  came  to  the  conclusion  that  Curran  must 
be  intending  to  start  a  country  store  of  his  own. 

On  returning  to  the  house  Curran  said  that  he  was 
obliged  to  go  to  see  a  neighbor  for  an  hour  or  two,  and  that 
Webster  must  remain  until  his  return,  when  he  would  take 
him  part  way  to  Mariola  in  his  wagon.  Webster  was  quite 
willing,  and  Jimmy  started  off.  Mrs.  Curran  was  busy  with 
her  children  and  with  other  household  affairs,  so  that 
Webster  had  a  fine  opportunity  to  examine  the  barn,  granary, 
hen-house,  and  tool-house  without  interruption.  A  more 
miscellaneous  collection  than  the  contents  of  these  build- 
ings can  hardly  be  imagined.  Under  the  hay  were  dry- 
goods,  groceries,  furniture,  kitchen  utensils,  crockery,  and 
hardware,  while  barrels  of  salt,  whiskey,  molasses,  vinegar, 
and  all  varieties  of  wet  groceries  were  neatly  hidden  in 
large  grain  bins  ;  these  bins  had  false  bottoms,  with  only  a 
light  layer  of  grain  on  top,  and  admittance  to  the  space 
below  was  gained  by  a  door  at  the  back  of  each  bin. 
Webster  found  such  a  vast  collection  of  goods  that  he  could 
not  understand  how  they  had  been  stolen.  It  was  certainly 
impossible  that  they  had  been  pilfered  in  broad  daylight,  since 
many  of  the  articles  were  very  bulky.  He  determined  to 
soive  the  mystery  at  the  earliest  opportunity,  and  to  have 


90  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

Jimmy  Curran  arrested  in  the  act  of  stealing,  if  possible 
He  did  not  await  Curran' s  return,  but  started  away  after  he 
made  his  discoveries,  telling  Mrs.  Curran  that  the  shooting 
was  too  good  to  lose  and  that  he  would  return  to  Mariola 
on  foot. 

After  leaving  the  house  he  made  quite  a  tour  around  the 
country,  stopping  at  all  the  farm-houses.  He  soon  learned 
that  Curran  was  in  the  habit  of  selling  all  kinds  of  goods  to 
the  neighboring  farmers  ;  his  prices  were  often  lower  than 
those  of  the  Mariola  store-keepers,  so  that  he  was  exten- 
sively patronized.  He  did  not  profess  to  keep  a  store,  but 
he  was  able  to  furnish  almost  all  kinds  of  merchandise  ;  he 
accounted  for  his  supply  of  goods  by  saying  that  he  always 
bought  everything  by  wholesale  for  himself,  and  he  could 
afford  to  let  his  neighbors  have  it  cheap  if  they  wished  to 
save  the  journey  to  Mariola. 

Webster  returned  to  the  city  and  awaited  further  devel- 
opments. In  a  day  or  two  Curran  drove  in  with  a  load  of 
grain,  which  he  sold  at  the  building  temporarily  used  for  the 
elevator.  He  then  spent  the  day.  with  Webster,  and  they 
had  such  a  jovial  time  at  the  saloons,  that  by  eight  o'clock 
in  the  evening  Webster  seemed  wholly  intoxicated. 
Curran -had  reached  that  happy  stage  where  he 

"  Wasna  fu',  but  just  had  plenty." 

He  left  Webster  in  a  maudlin  condition  in  a  low  saloon 
a,nd  went  to  get  his  horses  at  the  stable  where  they  had  been 
left.  Webster  staggered  out  shortly  afterward,  and  by  the 
time  Curran  had  harnessed  up  his  team  Webster  was  near 


THE  DETECTIVES.  91 

by  in  a  miraculously  sober  condition.  The  night  was  quite 
dark,  and  Curran  drove  home  at  only  a  moderate  gait,  so 
that  Webster  had  no  difficulty  in  keeping  up  with  him.  On 
reaching  an  unsettled  stretch  of  the  road  he  drove  very 
slowly,  occasionally  stopping  as  if  to  listen  ;  at  length,  turning 
out  of  the  highway,  he  went  about  two  hundred  yards  from 
the  road  and  then  stopped  in  a  small  grove  of  trees.  Web- 
ster crept  up  close  and  saw  that  he  had  blanketed  his  horses 
and  had  rolled  himself  up  in  another  blanket  on  some  hay 
in  his  wagon. 

The  situation  was  anything  but  agreeable  to  Webster,  who 
shivered  and  chattered  in  the  raw  night  wind  for  over  three 
hours  before  Curran  made  a  movement.  The  horses  stood 
perfectly  still,  without  neighing  or  stamping,  as  if  they  were 
quite  accustomed  to  their  duties,  and  not  a  sound  was  heard 
except  Jimmy's  heavy  snoring  as  he  slept  off  the  effects  of 
the  liquor  he  had  drank. 

About  midnight,  however,  he  awoke  with  a  start,  raised 
himself  up  to  listen,  and  got  out  of  the  wagon.  He  cau- 
tiously lit  a  match  to  enable  him  to  look  at  his  watch,  and 
he  then  uncovered  his  horses  preparatory  to  making  a  start. 
As  he  drove  back  to  the  road  Webster  noticed  that  the 
wagon  wheels  ran  almost  noiselessly,  and  that  there  was  no 
clicking  of  the  harness.  The  phantom  team  turned  back 
towards  Mariola,  with  Webster  close  behind.  Curran 
entered  the  town  at  a  walk,  and  drove  to  a  large,  well- 
kept  saloon.  The  whole  town  was  wrapped  in  sleep,  and 
no  sound  could  be  heard  except  the  whistling  of  the  wind 
and  the  creaking  of  signs  and  shutters  ;  the  sky  was  over- 


93  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

cast  with  heavy  clouds  and  inky  darkness  shrouded  every- 
thing, so  that  nothing  could  be  distinguished  at  a  .distance 
of  more  than  twenty  feet. 

Curran  seemed  to  know  his  way  intuitively,  however,  ana 
passing  to  the  rear  of  the  saloon,  he  entered  by  a  door  which 
was  left  unlocked.  He  soon  opened  the  front  door  and 
rolled  out  a  barrel,  which  seemed  quite  heavy.  He  left  it 
standing  beside  his  wagon  and  returned  to  the  saloon,  but  he 
came  out  again  almost  instantly  and  began  to  scrape  the  head 
of  the  barrel.  Webster  concluded  that  he  was  removing  the 
names  and  marks,  and  ii  afterward  proved  that  such  was  the 
case.  Having  scraped  a  few  minutes,  Curran  returned  to 
the  saloon,  closed  and  locked  the  front  door,  and  came  out 
as  he  had  entered,  leaving  no  trace  of  his  visit  except  the 

• 

absence  of  the  barrel  of  liquor  which  he  rolled  into  his 
wagon. 

He  then  drove  to  a  marble-cutter's  yard,  followed  by  the 
astonished  Webster,  who  could  not  imagine  what  there  was 
worth  stealing  in  such  a  place.  Jimmy  thought  differently, 
however,  for  he  selected  a  fine  marble  slab  and  slid  it  up  an 
inclined  board  into  his  wagon.  A  neat- foot-stone  was  placed 
beside  the  other,  and  he  then  turned  his  horses'  heads  home- 
ward. Webster  followed  him  about  two  miles,  and  was  about 
to  turn  back  when  Curran  stopped  near  a  large  farm-house 
and  cautiously  crept  up  to  the  hen-roost.  He  soon  returned 
with  an  armful  of  chickens,  whose  necks  he  had  wrung  so 
scientificallv  that  not  one  of  them  had  uttered  a  cackle  or  a 
squawk.  He  then  resumed  his  journey,  and  Webster 
.-e turned  to  town. 


CD 


cr 


THE  DETECTIVES.  93 

On  receiving  Webster's  report  I  wrote  to  Messrs.  Brown 
and  Lincoln  that  I  would  like  them  to  keep  a  close  watch 
upon  a  man  named  Jimmy  Curran,  who  lived  about  nine 
miles  from  Mariola.  I  told  them  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
bringing  large  quantities  of  produce  to  town  to  sell,  most  of 
which  was  probably  stolen  from  his  neighbors ;  that  he  usu- 
ally left  town  early  in  the  evening,  but  that  he  went  only  a 
short  distance  and  then  hitched  his  horses  in  a  grove  until 
about  midnight,  at  which  time  he  returned  to  Mariola  and 
stole  anything  he  could  lay  his  hands  on.  I  advised  them 
to  follow  him  on  horseback  at  the  first  opportunity,  and  then 
if  he  should  act  as  I  expected,  they  could  capture  him  with 
full  evidence  of  his  guilt  in  his  possession. 

"  Well,  this  is  strange,"  said  Mr.  Brown  to  Mr.  Lincoln 
on  reading  my  letter  ;  "  we  have  known  Jimmy  Curran  for 
several  years,  and  have  never  had  the  slightest  suspicion  of 
him.  I  can  hardly  believe  that  Mr.  Pinkerton's  informa- 
tion is  correct ;  but  still,  you  recollect  how  much  we  gained 
by  following  his  instructions  with  regard  to  Cook  and  Wal- 
lace, and  so  we  had  better  obey  him  implicitly  in  this  mat- 
ter also." 

"Yes;  I  agree  with  you,"  said  Mr.  Lincoln  ;  "besides, 
now  that  I  come  to  think  about  it,  I  recollect  that  Jimmy 
has  sold  me  an  immense  quantity  of  produce.  I  have  never 
given  it  a  second  thought  until  now,  but  it  does  seem  odd 
how  he  could  have  raised  such  crops  on  that  little  farm.  I 
guess  we  may  as  well  follow  Mr.  Pinkerton's  advice  ;  so  the 
next  time  Jimmy  comes  to  town  I  will  let  you  know,  and  we 
will  follow  him  in  the  evening." 


C:4  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

Two  days  later  Jimmy  drove  up  to  Mr.  Lincoln's  store 
and  sold  a  large  amount  of  butter,  eggs,  and  live  poultry. 
He  then  spent  the  day  with  Webster  in  visiting  the  differ- 
ent saloons.  At  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  he  took  his 
departure  for  home,  and  Webster  went  to  his  boarding-place, 
knowing  that  his  presence  would  not  be  required. 

The  night  was  not  very  dark,  and  Messrs.  Brown  and  Lin 
coin  did  not  dare  to  follow  Curran  very  closely  for  fear  of 
being  seen  by  him.  He  drove  off  at  a  rapid  gait,  and  the  two 
gentlemen  took  the  same  road  at  a  long  distance  in  his  rear. 
They  had  made  all  preparations  for  passing  the  night  out- 
doors, and  they  decided  to  take  their  stations  near  the  road, 
so  as  to  make  sure  of  seeing  Curran  on  his  return.  They 
chose  a  spot  just  outside  of  the  town,  where  a  clump  of  trees 
gave  them  shelter,  and  there  they  awaited  the  events  which 
the  night  might  bring  forth. 

Shortly  after  midnight  they  saw  a  team  coming  toward 
Mariola  ;  leaving  their  horses  in  the  grove,  they  followed 
the  noiseless  wagon  into  the  city.  They  knew  that  Curran 
would  not  dare  to  drive  fast  for  fear  of  making  a  noise,  and  so 
they  preferred  to  follow  on  foot,  as  they  could  watch  him  with 
less  risk  of  discovery.  He  first  stopped  in  front  of  a  mer- 
chant tailor's  shop,  which  he  entered  by  raising  a  side  win- 
dow. He  then  brought  out  several  bolts  of  cloth  and  placed 
them  beneath  the  hay  in  the  bottom  of  his  wagon.  A  short 
distance  further  down  the  street  he  walked  into  a  butcher's 
shop,  the  door  of  which  was  unlocked,  and  there  he  selected 
a  number  of  fine  roasts  and  steaks,  which  he  put  into  a 
large  market-basket :  this  he  covered  with  hay  as  before, 


THE  DETECTIVES.  05 

and  then  he  stood  two  or  three  minutes  in  meditation.  He 
seemed  desirous  of  completing  his  marketing  in  good  style, 
for,  leaving  his  team  standing,  he  went  to  a  restaurant  where 
Webster  had  treated  him  to  oysters  that  day.  He  had  a  key 
which  fitted  a  side-door,  and  he  soon  came  out  with  a  box  of 
canned  oysters  on  his  shoulder.  Finally  he  drove  to  a  lum- 
ber-yard, where  he  took  on  a  load  of  about  three  or  four 
hundred  feet  of  choice  lumber. 

The  lumber-yard  was  so  situated  that  Messrs.  Lincoln 
and  Brown  were  unable  to  approach  close  to  Curran  with- 
out being  seen  by  him  ;  hence  they  were  some  distance 
away  when  he  again  took  his  seat.  They  had  decided  to 
wait  until  he  had  completed  his  stealing  before  arresting 
him,  but  they  had  not  expected  that  he  would  be  so  soon 
satisfied  ;  therefore  when  they  saw  him  turn  towards  home 
at  a  brisk  trot  they  were  not  able  to  overtake  him  on  foot, 
and  they  were  obliged  to  hasten  after  him  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible until  they  reached  the  spot  where  they  had  left  their 
horses.  Jimmy,  however,  had  caught  sight  of  them,  and  he 
was  already  far  in  advance,  driving  at  a  fast  trot.  The  mo- 
ment they  gained  their  saddles  they  began  the  pursuit  in 
earnest,  and,  although  the  fugitive  urged  his  horses  into  a 
full  gallop,  there  was  no  hope  for  his  escape.  As  they 
gradually  drew  nearer  and  nearer,  Jimmy  became  desperate, 
as  he  began  to  feel  sure  that  they  had  seen  him  in  the  city, 
and  that  they  intended  to  arrest  him.  On  reaching  a  point 
where  the  road  passed  through  a  piece  of  thick  woods  a  bright 
idea  flashed  into  his  mind  :  leaving  his  horses  to  gallop  on 
without  guidance,  Jimmy  sprang  into  the  rear  of  his  wagon, 


96  THE  MODEL   TOWN  AND 

and  commenced  to  throw  out  the  goods  he  had  stolen  ;  out 
went  the  lumber  first  of  all,  as  it  was  the  heaviest  and  the 
most  conspicuous  of  all  his  plunder.  Still  the  pursuers 
gained ;  out  went  the  oysters  in  a  damaged  heap  by  the 
roadside,  and  closely  following  went  the  choice  cuts  of 
meat  in  a  confused  mass  of  mud,  basket,  and  hay ;  last  of 
all  he  flung  out  the  bolts  of  cloth,  throwing  them  as  far  as 
possible  into  the  shrubbery  on  each  side.  Then,  resum- 
ing his  seat,  he  urged  on  his  tired  and  panting  horses  ;  but 
the  latter  were  unable  to  keep  the  pace,  and  one  of 
them  at  length  stumbled  and  fell.  The  next  moment 
Mr.  Lincoln  ranged  up  on  one  side  and  Mr.  Brown  on 
the  other. 

"  Shure,  an'  is  it  you,  Mr.  Lincoln  ?  "  asked  Jimmy,  as  he 
recognized  his  pursuers.  "Troth,  thin,  but  it's  glad  I  am 
to  see  yez  both.  D'ye  see,  I've  been  radiu'  about  the 
highwaymin  in  the  ould  count  hry,  an'  I  thought  yez  were  a 
pair  o'  Claude  Duvals,  mebbe.  Will  yez  help  me  up  with 
me  horse  ?  shure  it's  a  divil  of  a  fall  he  had." 

The  horse  was  much  frightened  and  exhausted,  but 
not  hurt,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  team  was  in  good  condi- 
tion again. 

"  Now,  Jimmy,"  said  Mr.  Lincoln,  "  you  are  our  prisoner, 
and  you  must  go  back  to  Mariola  with  us." 

"Yer  prisoner,  is  it!  Shure  now,  Misther  Lincoln,  ye 
wouldn't  arrest  a  dacint,  rispectable  farmer  for  goin'  on  a 
bit  of  a  shpray  ?  Och,  I  know  I've  taken  a  dhrop  too  much  ; 
but  let  me  go  this  time,  gintlemin,  an'  you'll  never  see  me 
dhrunk  agin." 


THE  DETECTIVES.  97 

"  It  isn't  on  that  account  that  we  arrest  you,  Mr.  Curran, 
as  you  well  know,"  replied  Mr.  Brown. 

"Well,  ye  see,  Misther  Brown,  I  must  ha'  bin  ashlape 
whin  me  horses  began  to  run  so  fast ;  I  thought  I  was  goin' 
home,  but,  be  dad,  I  don't  know  whether  I'm  on  the  right 
road  or  not." 

"  No ;  I  think  not,"  said  Mr.  Lincoln  ;  "  you  are  on  a 
very  bad  road,  indeed.  However,  you  must  go  back  to 
Mariola  with  us,  and  we  will  pick  up  your  load  on  the  way." 

Jimmy  expressed  entire  ignorance  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  mean- 
ing, but,  rinding  that  he  could  not  escape,  he  took  his  seat 
in  the  wagon  with  the  remark  : 

"  Oh  !  well,  Mr.  Lincoln,  ye  will  have  yer  joke,  so  I  sup- 
pose I  must  go  to  satisfy  ye." 

Mr.  Brown  led  Mr.  Lincoln's  horse,  while  Mr.  Lincoln 
and  Jimmy  occupied  the  wagon  seat.  They  made  their 
prisoner  assist  in  picking  up  the  various  stolen  articles  along 
the  roadside,  and  as  each  new  article  was  reached  he  ex- 
pressed his  unqualified  wonder  that  he  had  not  seen  them 
as  he  drove  by.  On  entering  Mariola  they  placed  the  load 
in  Mr.  Lincoln's  store,  and  then  took  their  prisoner  to 
Marshal  Binford.  The  latter  was  aroused  with  much  diffi- 
culty, and  Mr.  Brown  told  him  that  they  had  a  prisoner  to 
be  locked  up. 

"  All  right,"  said  the  Marshal  from  his  upper  window  ; 
"  I'll  be  down  presently.  Did  you  arrest  him  on  a  war- 
rant?" 

"  No  ;  but  we  caught  him  in  the  act,"  said  Mr.  Brown. 
"  He  is  another  of  the  same  kind  of  honest  men  as  Cook 
5 


98  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

and  Wallace  ;  you  needn't  be  afraid  that  he'll  sue  you  for 
false  arrest,  Marshal." 

Binford  drew  in  his  head  quickly,  as  if  the  retort  were  not 
pleasant  to  him  ;  in  a  short  time  he  came  down  and  gave 
Curran  a  room  in  the  jail. 

It  was  now  nearly  daylight,  and  Messrs.  Lincoln  and 
Brown  ordered  three  or  four  large  wagons  to  be  made  ready 
to  go  to  Curran' s  farm,  as  I  had  written  to  them  that  several 
teams  would  be  necessary  to  move  all  the  stolen  goods. 
They  then  roused  up  a  magistrate  and  swore  out  3.  search- 
warrant  to  enable  them  to  overhaul  Curran' s  house,  stables, 
etc.  It  was  seven  o'clock  by  the  time  they  readied  the 
farm,  and  Mrs.  Curran  had  evidently  been  up  several  hours. 
Finding  that  her  husband  had  not  returned  at  the  usual 
hour,  she  had  suspected  that  something  had  been  discovered 
to  cause  his  arrest ;  she  had  therefore  carefully  hidden 
everything  which  could  lead  any  one  to  imagine  there  was 
anything  wrong  about  the  place.  There  were  a  number  of 
storekeepers  and  leading  merchants  of  the  town  in  the 
party,  and  Mrs.  Curran  received  them  so  naturally  and 
easily  that  some  of  them  began  to  think  there  mur.t  be  a 
mistake.  They  looked  around  the  buildings  for  a  few 
minutes  while  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  Messrs.  Brcim  and 
Lincoln,  but  they  discovered  no  evidences  of  the  presence 
of  stolen  goods,  and  they  almost  felt  like  dissuading  Mr. 
Lincoln  from  searching  the  premises. 

The  two  leaders  had  been  detained  some  minutes  late/ 
than  the  rest  of  the  party ;  but  on  their  arrival  the  search 
began  in  earnest,  in  spite  of  the  cries  and  protestation  ,  of  the 


THE    DETECTIVES.  99 

whole  Curran  family.  As  nest  after  nest  was  discovered, 
the  astonishment  of  the  storekeepers  was  unbounded. 
They  identified  goods  which  they  had  missed  months 
before,  and  there  was  not  a  single  merchant  present  who 
failed  to  find  a  portion  of  his  stock  on  the  Curran  premises. 
The  whole  forenoon  was  spent  in  moving  the  goods,  and  by 
the  time  the  articles  known  to  have  been  stolen  had  been 
removed,  there  was  little  left  in  the  house. 

Curran  was  brought  before  two  Justices  on  the  following 
day,  and  was  then  held  for  trial  on  six  different  counts  for 
larceny.  His  bail  was  fixed  at  fifteen  hundred  dollars  ,011 
each  count,  in  default  of  which  he  was  committed  to  the 
county  jail. 

During  the  next  week  there  was  a  daily  congregation  of 
the  Mariola  storekeepers  and  the  neighbors  of  Curran  to 
examine  the  stolen  goods ;  gradually  the  articles  were 
identified  and  taken  away,  until  only  a  few  lots  remained 
unclaimed,  and  these  were  eventually  sold  at  auction. 


CHAPTER  XL 

TT  7ALKER,  Morgan,  Leitz,  and  Hays  were  drinking 
»  V  together  early  on  the  morning  that  the  search  was 
made  at  Curran's.  They  had  heard  of  Curran's  arrest,  but 
they  could  not  find  out  what  was  the  charge  against  him. 
When  the  first  wagon-load  of  goods  came  in  they  went 
together  to  hear  the  news.  The  story  soon  spread  rapidly 
that  Jimmy  Curran  had  been  arrested  for  stealing,  and  that 
his  house  had  been  found  filled  with  stolen  property.  The 
quartette  above  mentioned  having  heard  all  there  was  to  be 
told,  returned  to  Walker's  saloon  and  sat  down  together  in 
the  bar-room. 

"Well,  I  thought  I  was  a  good  judge  of  human  nature," 
said  Walker,  "  but  this  business  completely  upsets  me.  I 
never  thought  Jimmy  Curran  had  enough  sense  to  do  a  job 
so  neatly  as  he  has  been  doing." 

"No;  nor  I  either,"  said  Leitz.  "The  beauty  of  his 
game  was,  that  it  was  so  simple." 

Y 

"Yes;  that  showed  his  shrewdness,"  said  Hays;  "it  is 
not  always  the  most  cunning  trick  that  succeeds  the  best." 

"  That  is  all  very  true,"  said  Morgan  in  a  boasting  man- 
ner; "but  if  I  had  been  smart  enough  to  steal  all  those 
goods,  I  should  have  hidden  them  so  they  could  not  be 


THE  DETECTIVES.  101 

found.  Do  you  suppose  I  would  have  been  caught  as 
Jimmy  was  ?  No,  siree  !  " 

"You  don't  know  what  you're  talking  about,  Morgan," 
replied  Walker.  "  Do  you  think  that  Lincoln  and  Brown 
caught  Jimmy  Curran  without  anybody  else's  help  ?  They 
are  reasonably  smart,  but  they  aren't  smart  enough  for  that. 
No,  sir ;  they  have  had  detectives  at  work — I  am  sure  of 
it." 

"You  don't  think  so  !  "  exclaimed  Morgan,  turning  very 
white. 

"  Yes  ;    I  do  think  so,"  replied  the  old  man. 

"  So  do  I,"  said  Leitz  ;  "  the  more  I  think  about  it  the 
more  I  know  that  Walker  is  right." 

"  Well,  then,  we  must  find  out  who  they  are,"  said  Hays. 

"  Yes ;  that  ought  to  be  done  the  first  thing,"  said 
Walker.^  "They  will  soon  begin  to  blow  about  their  suc- 
cess in  capturing  Cook,  Wallace,  and  Curran,  and  then  we 
shall  easily  find  out  who  are  engaged  in  spying  'round." 

"I'm  not  afraid  of 'em  anyhow,"  Leitz  remarked  in  alow 
tone ;  "  I  never  trust  any  one  with  my  secrets,  and  so  I 
have  no  cause  to  fear  the  best  detective  that  ever  lived." 

"You  can't  keep  everything  to  yourself,"  replied 
Walker ;  "  you  must  have  some  one  to  confide  in.  Why, 
it  is  only  lately  that  you  and  I  told  our  secrets  to  Hays." 

"That  is  an  entirely  different  thing,"  argued  Leitz. 
"  We  have  Hays  in  our  power,  for  we  know  enough  about 
him  to  settle  him  for  life  if  he  should  attempt  to  inform 
upon  us.  You  see,  we  are  all  three  tied  together ;  if  one 
should  try  to  sell  out  the  other  two,  he  would  have  only 


102  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

his  word  against  both  of  the  others'*;  besides,  the  other  two 
could  easily  prove  that  the  other  was  a  criminal,  and  thus 
they  would  get  their  revenge." 

"That's  a  fact,"  said  Walker;  "you  are  always  right, 
Leitz.  But,  now,  who  is  it  that  is  helping  Lincoln  and 
Brown  ?  We  must  find  out  right  away." 

A  crow'd  came  in  just  at  this  time,  full  of  excitement 
about  Curran's  arrest,  and  Hays  helped  Walker  serve  out 
drinks.  They  were  quite  busy  for  some  time,  but  at  last 
Hays  had  a  chance  to  speak  to  Walker  quietly,  though 
Morgan  and  Leitz  were  not  far  away,  and  several  others 
were  in  the  saloon. 

"  Walker,  I  want  to  speak  to  you  alone,"  said  Hays,  in 
a  very  low  tone. 

"What's  up  now?"  asked  Walker. 

"Never  mind,"  replied  Hays  ;  "get  rid  of  Morgan  if  you 
can,  for  I  don't  want  any  one  to  hear  except  you  and 
Leitz." 

"  All  right,"  said  Walker ;  then  walking  to  the  other  end 
of  the  bar  he  spoke  to  Morgan  :  "  I  wish  you  would  go 
over  to  the  Globe  Hotel,  Morgan,  and  hear  what  Wolff 
thinks  about  this  arrest.  I  don't  like  Wolff  myself,  but  he 
is  a  shrewd  fellow,  and  he  may  know  something  more  about 
the  case  than  we  do." 

"  I  was  just  thinking  of  that,"  answered  Morgan,  ever 
ready  to  do  anything  for  the  "  old  man." 

"  Well,  find  out  what  he  knows  and  -thinks  about  it,"  said 
Walker,  handing  Morgan  a  parting  drink. 

When  Morgan  had   left   the  saloon,  Walker  nodded   to 


THE   DETECTIVES.  103 

Leitz,  and  the  two  men  joined  Hays  at  one  end  of  the  bar. 
Hays  had  an  immense  chew  of  tobacco  in  his  mouth,  and 
by  the  rapidity  with  which  he  chewed  he  showed  that  he 
was  somewhat  excited.  The  two  older  men  had  noticed 
that  this  was  the  only  way  in  which  Hays  ever  showed 
haste  or  excitement,  and  so  they  waited  several  minutes  for 
him  to  speak. 

"  Well,  what  is  it,  Hays  ?  "  asked  Walker.  "  I  see  you 
have  something  on  your  mind." 

"Walker,  you  know  I  trust  you  and  Leitz  perfectly," 
finally  drawled  out  Hays;  "but  I  have  my  ideas  about  a 
certain  other  person,  and  I  was  sorry  you  talked  so  plainly 
this  morning  about  our  secrets.  It  maybe  that  I  am  too  sus- 
picious, but  I  tell  you  I — don't — like — Morgan.  Now  he 
may  be  all  right ;  but  there  is  something  that  looks  bad : 
he  was  the  first  man  to  know  anything  about  Curran's 
arrest,  and  lie  knew  more  than  anybody  else.  I  am  afraid 
that  he  is  the  man  that  gave  Curran  away.  Anyhow, 
\\hether  that  is  true  or  not,  I  don't  like  to  trust  him." 

"  I  don't  know  but  that  you  are  right,"  replied  Leitz, 
thoughtfully  ;  "  yet  I  can  hardly  see  how  he  did  it.  He  was 
here  playing  cards  until  after  one  o'clock,  and  it  was  about 
that  time  that  the  chase  commenced.  He  might  have  seen 
Curran  on  his  way  home,  and  then  informed  Lincoln  and 
Brown." 

"  No ;  it  was  all  planned  beforehand,"  said  Walker. 
"  Morgp.n  may  have  seen  Curran  before,  and  if  so  he 
could  have  told  Lincoln  and  Brown  to  be  ready  the  next 
time  Jimmy  came  to  town.  Still,  I  don't  feel  sure 


104  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

about  it,  and  so  I'll  tell  you  what  we'll  do  :  we  will  watch 
Morgan  all  the  time — never  allow  him  to  go  anywhere 
except  with  us  or  watched  by  one  of  us.  I  tell  you,  if  he 
should  blow  on  us  we  should  be  in  a  bad  fix." 

"All  right,"  said  Hays;  "we  will  never  lose  sight  of  him, 
and  if  he  shows  any  signs  of  going  back  on  us — well,  I  guess 
something  will  happen  to  him." 

The  three  men  looked  at  each  other  a  moment,  nodded 
significantly,  and  then  the  conference  broke  up. 

Meantime  everything  went  along  quietly  at  the  Globe 
Hotel.  Clark  was  a  great  favorite  with  Wolff,  and  his  intim- 
acy with  the  handsome  housekeeper  progressed  most  satis- 
factorily. They  paid  no  attention  to  the  arrest  of  Jimmy 
Curran,  since  that  was  a  kind  of  knavery  which  they  did  not 
countenance.  The  news  of  the  arrest  of  the  four  counter- 
feiters reached  them  after  some  delay,  and  they  were  all  much 
alarmed  for  a  time.  Wolff,  Clark,  and  Davis  held  several 
consultations  on  the  subject,  and  they  tried  to  reason  out  a 
theory  to  account  for  the  arrest  of  the  four  men.  On  learn- 
ing of  this  I  caused  a  brief  paragraph  to  be  inserted  in  the 
daily  newspapers,  to  the  effect  that  four  men  had  passed 
counterfeit  money  in  payment  for  railroad  tickets,  and  they 
had  finally  been  arrested  on  the  railroad  train  with  a  large 
quantity  of  bogus  coin  in  their  possession.  This  paragraph 
was  seen  by  Wolff,  and  he  immediately  showed  it  to  Clark 
and  Davis. 

"  There,  that  accounts  for  the  arrest,"  he  said.  "  You 
know  that  they  changed  cars  about  twenty  miles  south  of 
here  and  bought  tickets  on  the  other  road.  I  should  have 


THE  DETECTIVES.  105 

supposed  that  they  would  have  had  better  sense  than  to  pay 
out  any  of  the  stuff  in  these  parts.  Probably  the  ticket 
agent  recollected  them  and  telegraphed  to  have  them  ar- 
rested." 

"Well,  I'm  mighty  glad  that  we've  found  out  how  they 
were  caught,  for  I  began  t&  be  afraid  that  there  had  been 
detectives  at  work,"  said  Davis. 

"  Yes  ;  I  feel  much  easier  about  the  matter  now,"  said 
Clark. 

"I  must  acknowledge  I  was  rather  nervous  myself,"  said 
Wolff,  "  especially  as  I  wanted  to  start  off&gain  to  sell  some 
more  of  the  shiners.  How  long  will  it  take  you  to  make 
me  about  two  thousand  dollars,  Davis  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  whether  I  care  to  do  it  just  now,"  replied 
Davis.  "  You  see,  if  they  caught  you  they  would  be  sure 
to  catch  me  too." 

"  Oh !  I  can  fix  that  safe  enough,"  Wolff  argued 
"  Clark  and  I  will  manage  it  together.  I  will  go  ahead  and 
make  the  arrangements,  while  Clark  follows  me  with  the 
money.  He  will  simply  deliver  die  bogus  and  receive  the 
genuine  money,  and  the  purchasers  will  not  know  whence  he 
comes  nor  whither  he  goes.  We  will  each  have  a  horse  and 
buggy,  and  all  deliveries  shall  be  made  at  specified  points 
on  the  roadside,  so  that  there  will  be  no  danger  to  either  of 
us." 

"  Yes ;  that  will  be  a  good  plan,  and  I  will  commence  to 
make  the  coin  to-night,"  said  Davis.  "  It  will  take  me 
about  three  weeks  to  make  two  thousand  dollars,  and  I 
must  get  to  work  as  soon  as  possible." 


106 

"  Is  the  work  very  hard  ?  "  asked  Clark. 

"  Not  very,  except  that  I  have  to  do  much  of  it  at  night. 
I  have  excavated  a  room  underneath  my  house,  where  I  can 
work  without  the  least  danger.  There  is  a  trap-door  in  my 
sitting-room,  and  it  fits  so  closely  that  it  would  never  be 
noticed  even  if  the  floor  were  Bare ;  but  I  keep  it  always 
covered  by  a  large  rug,  and  no  one  could  possibly  suspect 
its  presence.  I  have  a  set  of  simple  signals  with  my  wife, 
and  she  tells  me  when  to  come  out  and  when  I  must  keep 
quiet." 

"  Well,  you  mu's  t  work  as  fast  as  you  can,"  said  Wolff, 
"  so  you  had  better  begin  at  once." 

"  All  right ;  I'm  not  afraid,  now  that  I  know  those 
fellows  were  captured  by  their  own  carelessness.  You  must 
come  over  and  see  my  place,  Clark;  it  is  as  good  a  shop  as 
you  ever  saw,  I  fancy." 

"  I  will  drop  in  soon,"  replied  Clark ;  "  but  I  will  let 
you  know  beforehand.  Well,  good-day." 

After  Davis  had  gone,  Wolff  laid  out  a  plan  of  operations 
with  Clark,  and  all  the  details  were  fully  settled. 

"By  the  way,  we  must  find  some  one  to  take  charge  of 
the  bar,"  said  Wolff.  "  Do  you  know  of  a  suitable  man  ?  " 

"  No,  not  just  now,"  said  Clark ;  "  but  it  seems  to  me 
that  it  would  be  well  to  hire  a  man  who  is  a  comparative 
stranger  in  the  town." 

"That's  a  good  idea,"  said  Wolff,  "and  we  will  look 
around  for  some  such  fellow." 

When  I  received  Clark's  report  of  this  conversation  I 
sent  him  instructions  to  make  Werbster's  acquaintance,  and 


THE   DETECTIVES.  107 

to  introduce  Wolff  and  Webster  to  each  other  as  soon  as 
possible.  I  wrote  to  Webster  at  the  same  time  to  cultivate 
Wolff's  friendship  in  order  to  get  installed  as  bar-keeper 
(  during  the  absence  of  Wolff  and  Clark. 

In  a  day  or  two  Clark  paid  his  promised  visit  to  Davis. 
He  was  introduced  to  Mrs.  Davis,  and  the  three  sat  together 
talking  until  a  neighbor's  child  who  was  present  went  home. 
Then  Davis  took  a  hasty  glance  up  and  down  the  street, 
pulled  the  rug  to  one  side,  and  then  went  to  the  side  of  the 
room.  Clark  was  able,  on  close  examination,  to  perceive 
the  outline  of  a  trap- door  about  two  feet  square,  but  he  saw 
no  means  of  raising  it. 

"  How  do  you  get  it  up  ?  "  he  asked. 

"That's  the  prettiest  thing  about  it,"  said  Davis,  chuck- 
ling at  his  own  ingenuity. 

He  then  pointed  to  a  knob  on  the  floor  which  was 
apparently  intended  to  keep  the  front  door  from  striking  the 
wall  when  opened  wide  ;  on  pulling  a  small  iron  bolt  out  of 
the  side,  and  stepping  on  the  knob,  it  yielded  to  his  weight, 
while  at  the  same  instant  one  side  of  the  trap-door  raised 
up  sufficiently  to  permit  it  to  be  lifted  off  without  difficulty. 

"  You  see,"  said  Davis,  "  there  is  a  lever  under  the  flooi 
which  is  worked  by  this  knob.  There  is  no  danger  of  lift- 
ing the  trap-door  by  accident,  for  when  this  bolt  is  in  place 
the  knob  will  not  go  down.  Ain't  that  a  pretty  clever  piece 
of  work  ?  " 

"It  is,  indeed,"  replied  Clark;  "it  beats  anything  I  ever 
saw." 

They  then  descended  into    the  secret  cellar,  and  Mrs. 


108  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

Davis  closed  the  door  above  them.  Davis  quickly  lit  a 
lamp,  and  Clark  had  a  good  view  of  the  whole  place.  The 
room  was  about  nine  feet  high,  and  twelve  feet  wide  by  fifteen 
feet  long.  The  floor  was  covered  by  boards  laid  on  the 
earth,  so  that  there  was  no  rumbling  noise  made  by  stepping 
on  them.  They  were  also  protected  by  a  rag  carpet  to 
prevent  sound,  and  Davis,  as  an  additional  precaution, 
pulled  off  his  boots.  There  were  two  good  apertures  for 
ventilation,  and  the  air  of  the  room  was  fresh  and  com- 
fortably warm.  The  workshop  was  completely  furnished 
with  every  necessity  for  melting,  moulding,  filing,  and  cutting 
metals,  and  all  the  tools  were  of  the  best  character.  A 
large  battery  and  trough  in  one  corner  showed  the  means  by 
which  the  bogus  money  was  made  to  appear  so  much  like 
the  genuine  article,  and  indeed  all  the  appliances 
were  such  as  are  used  by  only  the  most  scientific  counter- 
feiters. 

When  they  were  ready  to  come  out,  Davis  made  a  sound 
like  the  gnawing  of  a  rat,  and  Mrs.  Davis  immediately  let 
them  out.  After  an  explanation  of  the  signals  which  Mrs. 
Davis  used  to  warn  him  of  the  approach  of  strangers  and 
their  departure,  Davis  gave  a  practical  illustration  of  the 
way  in  which  he  worked.  When  engaged  in  the  noisiest 
part  of  the  process  of  manufacture,  no  sound  could  be 
heard  outside  the  house,  and  only  a  faint  clinking  could  be 
distinguished  indoors.  At  a  simple  signal  from  Mrs.  Davis 
everything  was  silent  as  the  grave,  while  a  second  signal 
was  instantly  followed  by  the  resumption  of  work  below. 
Clark  acknowledged  that  Davis  had  a  perfect  workshop  and 


THE  DETECTIVES.  109 

an  unsurpassed  system  of  labor ;  having  seen  all  there  was, 
he  returned  to  the  hotel. 

On  receiving  Clark's  report  I  wrote  to  the  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury  describing  this  secret  laboratory,  and  asking 
authority  to  arrest  the  members  of  the  partnership  at  my 
own  discreton.  He  sent  me  a  document  addressed  to  the 
United  States  Marshal,  ordering  him  to  assist  me  when 
called  upon,  but  to  wait  for  the  completion  of  my  plans 
before  making  any  move.  I  gave  this  order  to  Harry 
Wilton,  the  United  States  Marshal  for  Illinois,  and  he 
agreed  to  give  me  all  the  assistance  necessary  when  I  was 
ready  to  make  the  arrests. 


CHAPTER  XIL 
i 

WEBSTER  had  become  well  acquainted  with  almost 
every  one  in  town  during  his  stay  there,  and  he  was 
generally  regarded  as  a  lazy  loafer  ;  yet  he  was  so  good- 
humored  that  no  one  seemed  to  think  ill  of  him.  Among 
his  casual  acquaintances  was  a  young  fellow  named  William 
Condon,  who  had  about  the  same  reputation  as  Webster's. 
He  was  a  jack-of-all-trades,  earning  his  living  by  farm-work 
in  the  mild  weather,  and  by  odd  jobs  in  town  during  the 
winter.  His  distinguishing  characteristic  was  his  appetite, 
which  was  simply  enormous ;  it  was  uncontrolled  by  any 
considerations  of  time,  place,  or  quantity  provided,  and  the 
principal  objects  of  Condon's  life  seemed  to  be  to  work  as 
little  and  to  eat  as  much  as  possible. 

One  evening  the  weather  suddenly  turned  very  cold, 
and  the  loafers  found  it  necessary  to  congregate  in  the 
saloons  to  keep  warm.  Webster  was  seated  alone  in  a 
small  saloon  when  Condon  joined  him.  After  the  usual 
greetings,  Condon  leaned  over  confidentially,  and  said  : 

"  Webster,  do  you  like  'oysters  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed ;  I  used  to  live  on  Long  Island  Sound, 
where  we  had  oysters  all  the  year  round." 

"Well,  would  you  like  to  get  some  to-night?"  again 
queried  Condon, 


THE  DETECTIVES.  Ill 

"Of  course  I  should,"  replied  Webster  ;  "but  they  cost 
too  much  for  me." 

"  They  needn't  cost  you  a  cent,"  said  Condon  ;  "  if  you 
will  come  along  with  me  I  will  show  you  where  we  can  get 
all  we  want  for  nothing." 

"I'm  your  man,"  said  Webster.  "Just  show  me  that 
place  and  I  sha'n't  ask  any  questions  as  to  who  pays  for 
the  feast." 

The  two  men  passed  out  of  the  saloon  and  walked  down 
the  principal  street  until  they  came  in  sight  of  a  large 
grocery  store.  In  front  of  the  store  was  a  large  case  of 
canned  oysters  exposed  for  sale,  and  Condon  called  Web- 
ster's attention  to  them. 

"  There,  do  you  see  them  cans  ?"  he  asked,  smacking  his 
lips  in  anticipation  of  a  feast.  "  They  leave  that  case  out 
all  night,  and  if  you'll  help  me,  we  can  take  the  whole  lot. 
My  wife  will  cook  'em  up  in  splendid  style,  and  for  once  I 
shall  have  enough  oysters  for  a  meal." 

"You  can  depend  upon  me  for  all  the  help  I  can  give." 
said  Webster ;  "  but  I  strained  my  back  yesterday,  and  1 
don't  know  whether  I  can  lift  much." 

"  Never  mind  about  that,"  said  Condon  ;  "  I  can  carry 
the  whole  box,  but  I  want  you  to  keep  watch  while  I  take  it." 

Having  agreed  to  meet  at  a  certain  spot  about  midnight, 
they  separated  for  the  evening.  Webster  soon  returned  to 
the  grocery  store  and  dropped  in  to  buy  some  crackers. 

"  Are  the  oysters  good  at  this  season  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Oh  !  yes  •  they  are  better  than  usual,  owing  to  this  cold 
snap,"  replied  the  proprietor. 


112  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

"  Do  you  think  it  is  safe  to  leave  them  out-doors  ?"  Web- 
stei  asked,  pointing  to  the  case  on  the  sidewalk. 

"  What !  do  you  think  I  would  leave  them  out  there  ? 
They  would  spoil  in  no  time.  That  box  in  front  is  my  sign  ; 
I  have  plenty  of  empty  cans,  and  I  fill  them  with  water, 
solder  them  up,  and  arrange  them  neatly  in  a  case,  as  if  they 
were  really  full  cans  of  oysters.  I  have  lots  of  fun,  for  every 
little  while  some  fellow  steals  a  can,  and  runs  off  as  if  he 
thought  he  had  a  prize." 

"That  is  a  mighty  good  sell,"  said  Webster,  and  he 
laughed  heartily  at  the  manner  in  which  Condon  would  be 
taken  in. 

He  soon  went  out  and  spent  the  evening  in  Wolff's  bar- 
room, where  he  had  begun  to  make  frequent  visits.  At  the 
appointed  time  and  place  he  met  Condon,  and  they  walked 
quietly  to  the  grocery  store.  It  was  agreed  that  Condon 
should  walk  off  with  the  box,  while  Webster  followed  to 
keep  watch  ;  then  they  were  to  have  their  feast  at  supper- 
time  next  evening.  Accordingly  Condon  listened  a  fevr 
minutes,  to  be  sure  that  no  one  was  coming,  and,  being  sat- 
isfied, he  hurried  across  the  street.  He  was  a  very  powerful 
man,  but  it  took  all  his  strength  to  raise  the  box  to  his 
shoulder.  He  succeeded,  however,  and  as  he  staggered  off 
toward  his  home,  Webster  sat  down  on  a  door-step  and 
rolled  over  with  suppressed  laughter,  as  he  thought  of  Con- 
don's disappointment  on  opening  the  case. 

The  next  evening  Webster  went  to  Condon's  house  at 
seven  o'clock,  and  walked  in  without  ceremony.  Condon 
lid  not  appear  very  glad  to  see  him,  but  they  conversed 


<u 

fr 


to 


o 
Q 


THE    DETECTIVES.  113 

together  about  the  weather  and  other  topics  for  some  min- 
utes.    At  length  Webster  said  : 

"Come,  Condon,  what  are  you  waiting  for?  Let's  have 
some  oysters." 

The  expression  that  came  into  Condon's  face  at  this 
remark  was  almost  too  much  for  Webster's  equanimity.  It 
was  a  compound  of  longing,  disappointment,  disgust,  and 
mortification,  such  as  nearly  drove  him  to  distraction,  and 
he  blurted  out : 

"  Oysters   be !     There  wasn't  a  single  one  in  the 

whole  case,  and  I  nearly  broke  my  back  in  lugging  home  a 
lot  of  cans  full  of  frozen  water." 

"  Oh  :'  see  here  now,"  replied  Webster,  incredulously,  "  I 
want  fair  play.  I  don't  mind  letting  you  have  all  you  can 
eat,  but  I  don't  want  to  be  cheated  out  of  the  whole  lot. 
Come,  give  me  enough  for  one  supper,  and  you  can  eat  the 
rest  whenever  you  feel  like  it.  There  ought  to  be  enough 
there  to  last  even  you  two  or  three  meals." 

"  I  tell  you  there  wasn't  an  oyster  in  the  whole  case  ; 
the  cans  were  only  dummies  filled  with  water.  You  can 
bet  that  I'm  as  much  disappointed  as  you  are." 

Webster  drew  down  his  left  eyelid  with  one  finger,  and  said 
in  a  most  aggravating  way  : 

"  Do  you  see  anything  green  in  my  eye  ?  Fetch  out  one 
stew,  and  then  you  can  eat  the  rest  yourself." 

"  I  swear  I  arn  telling  you  the  truth  :  there  was  nothing 
in  the  cans  but  water,"  replied  the  exasperated  gourmand  ; 
"  see,  there  are  the  empty  cans  in  the  woodshed." 

"Well,  if  you  are  such  a  hog  as  to  keep  all  the  plundei 


114  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

yourself,  after  getting  me  out  on  a  cold  night  to  help  you 
steal  it,  I  don't  want  anything  more  to  do  with  you.  I 
believe  you've  eaten  the  whole  lot  already." 

So  saying,  Webster  grabbed  his  hat  and  left  the  house. 
Having  had  enough  fun  out  of  Condon  to  satisfy  him,  he 
did  not  care  to  keep  up  his  acquaintance.  He  knew  now, 
however,  that  Condon  would  steal  if  he  had  a  chance,  and  so 
he  decided  to  watch  him  carefully. 

As  he  hurried  away  from  Condon's  house  he  met  War- 
den, the  braggart  Deputy  Marshal,  coming  away  from  the 
depot  with  a  travelling-bag  in  his  hand.  They  greeted  each 
other  very  warmly,  as  Warden  had  been  away  for  some  days. 
From  the  time  they  had  become  acquainted  at  the  prelim- 
inary examination  of  Cook  and  Wallace,  they  had  been 
much  together,  and  Warden  had  formed  quite  an  attachment 
for  Webster  ;  hence  they  met  like  old  chums. 

"  You  are  just  the  man  I  want  to  see,"  said  Warden,  shak- 
ing hands  with  Webster  warmly ;  "  come  along  to  old 
Walker's  and  tell  me  the  news." 

They  were  soon  seated  at  a  quiet  table,  and  Webster  told 
all  about  Curran's  arrest  and  such  other  matters  as  had 
occurred  in  Warden's  absence. 

"  So  Jimmy  Curran  was  running  a  country  store  without 
paying  for  his  stock,  was  he  ?  "  said  Warden,  musingly.  "  I 
wish  I  had  known  it,  for  I  could  have  helped  him  off  with 
every  bit  of  his  plunder,  and  we  would  have  made  a  good 
speculation  out  of  it.  Have  Cook  and  Wallace  got  bail  yet  ?  " 

"  No ;  they  do  not  seem  to  have  any  friends,"  said 
Webster. 


THE  DETECTIVES.  115 

"Well,  I  would  like  to  help  them,  for  they  are  good  men. 
I  gave  their  lawyer  a  small  retainer,  but  I  am  afraid  he  will 
lot  work  very  hard  unless  I  can  raise  some  more.  If  I  had 
i  couple  of  good  men  I  could  make  a  big  haul,"  said 
War-den,  looking  at  Webster  significantly. 

"  Speak  right  out  if  you  feel  like  it,"  answered  Webster. 
"  You  ought  to  know  by  this  time  that  I'm  ready  for 
anything  to  make  money." 

"  Well,  I  thought  so,"  said  Warden,  looking  much  pleased  ; 
"  now,  if  you'll  help  me,  we  can  make  a  couple  of  thousand 
apiece.  Down  at  Bromfield  there  is  a  large  jewelry  store 
osvned  by  a  man  named  Bliss.  I  have  inspected  his  stock, 
and  I  am  satisfied  that  he  carries  a  stock  of  not  less  than 
eight  thousand  dollars  in  value.  The  train-hands  are 
changed  at  Bromfield,  and  so  he  finds  it  profitable  to  keep  a 
large  stock  of  good  watches,  while  his  miscellaneous  jewelry 
is  quite  valuable  also.  Now,  I  think  we  can  help  ourselves 
there  without  any  trouble  at  all." 

"  How  is  the  place  situated,  and  how  much  of  a  safe  has 
he  ?"  asked  Webster. 

"  The  store  is  in  a  business  block,  and  no  one  sleeps 
an \\vhere  near  it  except  Bliss's  journeyman  watch-mender. 
He  is  a  mild-spoken  German,  and  he  could  be  overpowered 
easily.  He  sleeps  in  the  back  part  of  the  store,  and  he 
drinks  so  much  beer  every  evening  that  he  must  sleep  pretty 
sound." 

"  How  would  you  proceed  in  the  affair  ?" 

"  Well,  we  should  need  three  men — one  to  stand  outside 
and  watch,  while  the  other  two  forced  open  the  safe.  There 


116  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

would  be  little  difficulty  in  doing  that,  since  it  is  a  mere  iron 
chest,  and  I  could  force  it  open  in  ten  minutes.  After 
making  the  haul  we  would  go  to  Mrs.  Vreeland's  tavern  at 
Winchester,  on  the  canal.  We  could  remain  there  in  safety 
until  the  fuss  about  the  robbery  had  blown  over,  and  then 
take  a  canal-boat  down  to  Bordertown ;  from  there  we 
could  go  to  any  point  we  pleased  to  dispose  of  our  plunder." 

"Who  is  Mrs.  Vreeland?"  asked  Webster. 

"  She  is  a  smart  tavern-keeper  at  Winchester,  and  she  can 
be  trusted  more  than  most  men.  She  has  kept  me  safely 
hidden  two  or  three  times,  and  we  are  the  best  of  friends. 
Well,  what  do  you  think  about  it ;  will  you  go  in  ?  " 

"  I  think  it  is  a  first-class  chance  to  make  a  good  haul,  and 
of  course  I'll  go  in,"  replied  Webster;  "but  who  will  be  the 
third  man  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  think  I  can  get  a  fellow  named  Condon — 
oh  !  you  know  him  ?  " 

"  I  should  say  I  did,"  said  Webster,  "  and  if  he  ain't  a  fox 
I  don't  know  anybody  who  is." 

"  Why,  what  lias  he  been  doing  ?  "  asked  Warden. 

"  Oh  !  it  wasn't  much  of  a  job,  but  he  got  me  to  help  him 
steal  a  whole  case  of  canned  oysters  last  night,  and  when  I 
went  around  this  evening  to  get  my  share  the  hog  had  eaten 
the  whole  lot " 

"What !  a  whole  case  of  oysters  in  one  day  !"  exclaimed 
Warden. 

"  Yes,  sir,  every  one  ;  he  never  gave  me  even  a  taste. 
I  saw  him  carry  off  the  whole  box  of  full  cans  last  night,  and 
this  evening  he  showed  me  the  empty  cans  and  tried  to 


THE  DETECTIVES.  \\1 

make  me  believe  there  hadn't  been  an  oyster  in  them. 
I  have  no  objection  to  him  as  a  partner  in  this  job,  for  he  i? 
as  strong  as  an  ox;  but  I  won't  consent  to  let  him  carry  the 
plunder  away,  for  if  he  does  we  shall  not  get  one  penny's 
worth  for  our  share." 

"  Well,  well ;  I  never  thought  he  was  that  kind  of  a 
fellow  ;  but  we  can  prevent  him  from  handling  the  jewelry 
until  we  give  him  his  share." 

"  All  right ;  I  didn'  t  really  expect  to  have  any  great 
amount  of  trouble  with  him,  but  I  thought  best  to  warn  you 
of  his  trickiness." 

"  Well,  I  will  see  him  to-morrow, "  said  Warden,  "  and  if  he 
is  willing  to  join  us  we  will  make  our  arrangements  for  the 
first  dark  night." 

The  next  day  Warden  met  Webster  and  said  that  Condon 
was  willing  to  help  them  for  one-fifth  of  the  value  of  the 
goods  obtained,  the  other  two  dividing  the  remainder  equally. 
They  went  to  Condon's  house  that  evening  and  arranged 
the  details  of  their  plan.  There  would  be  no  moon  for 
several  nights,  and  the  appearance  of  the  weather  indicated 
a  storm  of  two  or  three  days'  duration  ;  they  therefore  fixed 
the  second  night  following  for  the  time  of  committing  the 
robbery.  Warden  took  Webster  to  his  room,  and  there  pro- 
duced a  "jimmy,"  several  fine  steel  wedges  a  small  pair  of 
bellows  for  blowing  powder  into  the  key-hole  of  the  safe, 
and  several  other  necessary  articles.  When  they  parted 
they  agreed  to  meet  at  Bromfield  at  ten  o'clock  on  the  night 
fixed  upon. 

Webster    immediately    sent   me   a   telegram   in    cipher, 


118  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

giving  all  the  particulars  of  the  intended  burglary.  His  own 
part  in  the  affair  was  to  be  that  of  watchman  outside,  while 
Warden  and  Condon  were  to  enter  the  store,  gag  the 
German  who  slept  there,  and  blow  open  the  safe.  I  replied 
by  a  telegram,  also  in  cipher,  instructing  him  to  allow  them 
to  carry  out  their  plan  in  full,  since  I  wished  to  break  up  th< 
den  at  Mrs.  Vreeland's,  and  I  therefore  preferred  to  capture 
them  in  her  house.  I  ordered  Webster  to  take  no  part  in 
entering  the  store,  but  to  remain  outside  all  the  time  ;  also 
to  take  none  of  the  stolen  goods,  but  to  suggest  that  they 
had  better  separate  after  the  burglary  had  been  accom- 
plished. 

The  night  agreed  upon  was  very  dark,  though  not  rainy, 
and  everything  appeared  auspicious  for  the  success  of  their 
scheme.  They  took  passage  by  the  evening  train,  keeping 
apart  from  each  other  :  the  train  being  very  crowded,  they 
had  no  fear  of  being  noticed.  Condon  carried  the  tools  in 
a  large  carpet-bag,  and  Warden  took  a  key  which  he  thought 
would  fit  the  lock  of  the  outside  door.  They  did  not  get  off 
at  the  depot  in  Bromfield,  as  they  did  not  want  to  appear 
in  such  a  public  place  ;  accordingly  when  the  train  began 
to  slacken  its  speed  they  sprang  off,  and  walked  a  short 
distance  out  of  town.  They  obtained  a  comfortable  shelter  in 
a  straw-stack  until  about  midnight,  and  then  they  started  for 
the  jewelry  store.  At  the  outskirts  of  the  town  they  again 
separated,  and  went  by  different  routes  to  their  destination. 

On  arriving  at  the  store  Webster  immediately  took  a  po- 
sition to  watch  and  listen,  while  Warden  and  Condon  tried 
to  open  the  door.  Warden  had  observed  that  the  lock  was 


THE  DETECTIVES.  US 

a  very  common  one,  the  same  kind  apparently  being  in  use 
in  a  number  of  other  stores  ;  he  had  therefore  obtained  a 
key  which  he  had  found  by  experiment  would  fit  several  of 
these  locks.  On  applying  it  here,  however,  it  failed  to  turn 
the  bolt  the  full  distance,  there  being  a  slight  difference  in 
the  arrangment  of  this  particular  lock.  This  was  a  totally 
unexpected  obstacle  to  their  success,  and  Warden  stood  dis- 
consolate for  several  minutes. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Condon  ;  "  I  will  push  the  door  in 
by  main  force. 

So  saying  he  applied  his  shoulder  and  gave  a  tremendous 
thrust ;  the  weak  fastening  yielded  instantly  to  the  enormous 
pressure,  and  the  door  flew  open.  For  two  minutes  not  a 
movement  nor  a  sound'vvas  made  by  the  burglars  :  the  still- 
ness was  so  complete  that  the  snoring  of  the  German  in  the 
back  part  of  the  store  was  the  only  audible  sound  about  the 
whole  building.  Being  thus  satisfied  that  no  one  had  been 
aroused  by  the  noise  of  forcing  the  door,  Warden  and  Con- 
don stole  in  noiselessly,  closed  the  door,  and  opened  their 
dark  lantern.  They  slipt  cautiously  to  the  German's  bed- 
side, and  Condon  grasped  him  by  the  throat,  at  the  same 
time  sitting  down  on  his  body.  He  had  evidently  been 
nearly  stupefied  with  liquor  before  going  to  bed,  and  he 
now  merely  opened  his  mouth  to  gasp.  Warden  instantly 
slipped  in  a  large  gag,  tied  it  fast  behind  his  head,  and 
then  rolled  him  face  downward  on  the  pillow.  Having 
secured  his  arms  and  legs,  they  left  him  perfectly  helpless 
and  unable  even  to  cry  out. 

They  then  went  to  the  safe,  the  outer  door  of  which  was 


120  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

easily  forced  open;  but  they  found  that  the  inner  door 
resisted  both  the  jimmy  and  the  wedges.  They  therefore 
blew  a  quantity  of  fine  rifle-powder  into  the  key-hole,  cov- 
ered the  safe  with  a  couple  of  blankets  taken  from  the 
German's  bed,  and,  applying  a  fuse,  they  exploded  the 
powder.  There  was  a  muffled  shock,  a  smothered  puff, 
and  a  great  gush  of  smoke,  but  the  noise  was  very  slight. 
On  removing  the  blankets  it  was  found  that  the  inner  door 
was  blown  completely  open,  and  the  valuable  contents  of 
the  safe  were  now  at  their  disposal.  They  immediately 
emptied  the  carpet-sack  of  its  contents  and  refilled  it  with 
the  least  bulky  and  most  valuable  articles  of  jewelry.  They 
obtained  over  twenty  gold  watches,  more  than  double  the 
number  of  silver  ones,  and  a  very  large  collection  of  rings, 
bracelets,  necklaces,  watch-chains,  etc. 

Webster  meantime  was  quietly  keeping  watch  outside, 
and,  as  he  made  no  danger  signal,  they  worked  on  without 
any  interruption.  The  two  workmen  inside  the  store  would 
have  been  terribly  frightened  if  they  had  known  what  was 
taking  place  outside.  I  had  given  the  charge  of  this  par- 
ticular operation  to  my  superintendent,  Mr.  George  H. 
Bangs,  and  he  was  already  on  the  scene  of  action  when  the 
burglars  arrived  there.  As  soon  as  Warden  and  Condon 
entered  the  store,  Bangs  slipped  over  silently  to  Webster's 
side.  He  had  a  double  object  in  being  there  :  he  wished 
to  learn  from  Webster  whether  there  had  been  any  change 
of  plan  since  Webster's  telegram  had  been  sent ;  secondly, 
he  wished  to  be  able  to  testify  that  Webster  had  had  nothing 
to  do  with  the  robbery  except  as  a  detective.  After  a  short 


T.HE  DETECTIVES,  121 

conference  with  Webster,  Bangs  returned  to  his  hiding-place 
to  watch  for  the  reappearance  of  the  other  two. 

When  Warden  had  selected  everything  worth  taking,  he 
gave  the  sack  to  Condon  to  carry,  and  they  went  to  the 
front  door  together.  Finding  that  the  coast  was  clear  out- 
side, they  came  out  and  carefully  closed  the  door.  They 
then  joined  Webster  and  started  for  the  country  at  a  rapid 
pace.  As  soon  as  they  had  cleared  the  town  Webster  left 
them,  according  to  their  previous  agreement.  Webster  was 
to  remain  around  Mariola  for  a  week,  and  then  join  the 
other  two  at  Bordertown,  where  the  spoil  was  to  be  divided. 

The  moment  that  the  burglars  had  passed  out  of  sight 
Bangs  hurried  into  the  jewelry  store  to  make  an  inspection 
of  the  place.  Hearing  a  series  of  grunts  and  moans  from 
the  unfortunate  German,  he  released  him  from  his  disagree- 
able situation,  and  laid  him  out  in  a  more  comfortable 
position.  Having  noted  the  position  of  the  safe  and  the 
appearance  of  the  whole  interior,  he  hastened  after  the 
thieves.  He  took  the  high  road  to  Winchester,  and  soon 
was  close  behind  them ;  having  followed  them  about  five 
miles,  he  felt  convinced  that  they  were  going  straight  to 
Winchester,  and  he  therefore  let  them  proceed  alone. 

Returning  to  Bromfield,  he  went  to  Morengo,  the  county 
seat,  and  called  upon  the  Sheriff.  He  stated  that,  in  the 
course  of  another  operation,  Mr.  Pinkerton  had  learned  that 
a  burglary  would  be  committed  at  Bromfield  ;  that  he  had 
been  sent  to  attend  to  the  case,  and  that  he  had  witnessed 
the  whole  affair.  He  gave  the  Sheriff  the  full  particulars — 
with  the  exception  of  Webster's  action  in  the  matter — and 
6 


122  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

told  the  Sheriff  that  he  knew  where  the  burglars  were  con- 
cealed. Hardly  had  he  finished  speaking  when  a  messen- 
ger arrived  in  hot  haste  from  Bromfield,  bringing  a  corrobo- 
ration  of  the  story  of  the  robbery  and  a  request  for  the 
Sheriff  to  visit  the  scene  of  action  at  once. 

Sheriff  Arkwright  immediately  sent  a  deputy  to  Bromfield 
and  called  three  other  deputies  to  assist  in  arresting  the 
criminals  ;  the  party  then  started  for  Winchester  in  carriages. 
They  reached  the  village  about  noon,  and  without  delay 
they  drove  to  Mrs.  Vreeland's  tavern.  To  Bang's  aston- 
ishment the  first  person  he  met  in  the  hall  was  Clark,  who 
was  last  heard  from  at  the  Globe  Hotel  in  Mariola.  Of 
course  they  did  not  show  any  signs  of  recognition,  and 
Bangs  paid  no  attention  to  Clark's  presence,  well-knowing 
that  he  must  be  there  on  some  other  operation. 

Mrs.  Vreeland  was  well  acquainted  with  the  Sheriff  and 
his  deputies,  and  she  received  them  with  great  cordiality, 
saying  that  they  were  just  in  time  for  dinner. 

"  Thank  you,  Mrs.  Vreeland,  I    dont   know   whether  we 
shall  have  time  to  stay  for  dinner,"    said  Mr.  Arkwright.  • 
"  What  people  have  stopped  here  lately  ?  " 

"  Well,  not  many ;  you  see  the  roads  are  so  bad  that 
very  few  people  are  travelling  about  the  county  just  now. 
There  was  one  gentleman  spent  the  day  here  yesterday, 
leaving  in  the  evening,  and  two  men  arrived  last  night,  but 
they  went  away  early  this  morning.  Then  Mr.  Clark  and 
Mrs.  Black,  of  the  Globe  Hotel  in  Mariola,  arrived  this 
morning,  and  are  here  yet.  Whom  are  you  looking  for, 
Sheriff?" 


THE  DETECTIVES.  123 

Mrs.  Vreeland  was  very  handsome,  and  she  smiled  upon 
the  Sheriff  most  bewitchingly,  but  he  was  intent  on  busines's, 
and  he  heeded  not  her  arts  and  blandishments ;  he  replied 
therefore  : 

"Well,  to  tell  the  truth,  Mrs.  Vreeland,  I  have  a  warrant 
to  search  your  house." 

"  What  nonsense  !  You  know  that  you  have  searched  my 
house  forty  times,  and  you  have  always  found  everything 
just  as  I  have  told  you.  Why,  it  would  be  impossible  for 
any  one  to  hide  here  without  my  knowledge/' 

"  That  makes  no  difference,"  replied  the  Sheriff,  "  I  must 
search  the  place  again." 

"  Oh  .l  then  you  suspect  me  of  hiding  somebody,  do  you  ?  " 
she  asked,  with  great  dignity.  "  Very  well,  if  that  is  the 
case  I  have  no  more  to  say;  go  on  with  your  search." 

"  I  think  I  will  walk  down  to  the  canal,"  said  Clark, 
putting  on  his  hat. 

"  You  will  stay  where  you  are,"  said  the  Sheriff.  "  Mrs. 
Vreeland,  you  will  accompany  us  around  the  house." 

One  deputy  was  left  in  the  sitting-room  with  the  other 
occupants  of  the  house,  and  a  second  deputy  was  sent  to 
search  the  barn  and  outhouses.  Bangs,  Sheriff  Arkvvright, 
and  the  other  deputies  then  made  a  thorough  search  of 
the  whole  tavern,  ransacking  every  nook  and  corner. 
This  search  was  conducted  with  great  care,  although  Bangs 
knew  that  the  men  were  concealed  in  a  room  beneath  the 
house,  similar  to  the  one  which  Davis  had  in  Mariola ;  but 
he  did  not  wish  to  expose  Webster's  connection  with  the 
case,  and  so  he  proceeded  as  if  he  knew  nothing  about  the 


124  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

house.  When  the  tavern  had  been  overhauled  from  the 
first  floor  to  the  garret,  the  Sheriff  was  quite  disappointed  at 
the  failure  to  discover  anything. 

"  I  thought  you  were  certain  those  men  were  here,"  he 
said  to  Bangs  in  a  whisper. 

"  So  I  am,"  replied  Bangs^  "  now  let  us  examine  the 
floors  of  the  rooms  down-stairs." 

"Are  you  sure,  Mrs.  Vreeland,  that  you  have  no  one 
concealed  about  the  house  ?  "  asked  the  Sheriff. 

"  I  have  told  you  already  that  there  were  no  other  persons 
here  except  those  whom  you  see,"  she  replied.  "  You  know 
I  always  tell  the  truth,  and  now  I  hope  you  are  satisfied. 
I  should  think,  Sheriff,  that  you  would  refuse  to  listen  to 
every  idle  tale  you  hear.  My  house  is  as  respectable  as 
any,  and  if  I  should  know  of  any  improper  characters  com- 
ing here,  I  should  be  as  anxious  to  give  them  up  to  you  as 
you  would  be  to  capture  them.  Now  that  you  have  seen 
everything,  I  suppose  you  will  let  us  go  and  attend  to  our 
work,  won't  you?" 

"  I  am  sorry  to  refuse  you,"  said  the  Sheriff,  politely, 
"  but  we  must  first  take  a  look  at  your  floors." 

As  he  said  this  Mrs.  Vreeland  turned  very  pale,  but  she 
recovered  herself  in  a  moment  and  answered  : 

"  Oh  !  by  all  means  ;  and  then  you  may  as  well  lift  the 
roof  off — anything  to  oblige  you." 

"Well,  let  us  take  up  this  carpet  first,"  said  the  Sheriff; 
"  handle  it  carefully,  boys." 

The  furniture  was  passed  out  quickly,  and  the  carpet  was 
pulled  up  ;  but  nothing  was  discovered. 


THE  DETECTIVES.  125 

"  Now  let  us  take  a  hasty  glance  at  this  little  room,"  said 
Bangs,  well  knowing  that  there  he  would  find  the  trap-door. 

"You  needn't  trouble  that  room,"  said  Mrs  Vreeland, 
"for  I  slept  there  myself  last  night.  You  aren't  going  to 
insult  me  by  supposing  that  I  admitted  any  one  to  my  bed- 
room, I  hope." 

"Oh!  no,  indeed,  Mrs.  Vreeland,"  said  Bangs  in- his 
most  sympathizing  tones ;  "  such  an  idea  never  entered  my 
head  ;  but  I  think  you  must  be  mistaken  about  having  slept 
here,  for  there  is  scarcely  any  furniture  in  the  room." 

In  fact,  the  room  contained  only  two  or  three  chairs  and 
a  table,  which  were  quickly  carried  out  while  Bangs  was 
speaking.  It  was  then  found  that  the  carpet  was  not  tacked 
down,  and  on  rolling  it  back  a  large  trap-door  was  seen  in 
the  centre  of  the  floor.  Mrs.  Vreeland  was  very  much 
agitated  as  she  looked  on,  but  she  had  nothing  to  say. 

"  Dear  me  I  "  exclaimed  the  Sheriff,  "  I  wonder  where  that 
door  leads  to.  I  guess  we  shall  need  a  candle  to  investigate 
that  place." 

"  Here  is  one,"  said  Bangs,  taking  one  from  his  pocket 
and  lighting  it. 

"  Well,  you  are  a  walking  store-house,"  said  the  Sheriff  ; 
"  I  never  ask  you  for  anything  without  finding  that  you  have 
it  instantly  ready  for  use." 

The  trap- door  was  immediately  lifted,  revealing  a  dark 
chamber  below,  and  simultaneously  with  the  opening  of  the 
door  two  pistol  shots  were  fired  up  into  the  room  abova. 
Fortunately  no  one  was  hit,  and  the  fire  was  returned  by  all 
the  officers  present.  Before  the  smoke  cleared  away,  Bangs 


126  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

sprang  into  the  hole,  followed  by  the  Sheriff  and  a  deputy. 
They  found  Warden  and  Condon  in  the  underground 
chamber,  the  former  wounded  in  the  head.  The  prisoners 
were  quickly  secured  and  hoisted  to  the  floor  above.  The 
search  was  then  continued  for  the  stolen  property,  as  only 
a  few  watches  and  jewels  were  found  on  the  persons  of  the 
men.  On  being  questioned  closely,  however,  Condon 
acknowledged  that  he  had  been  engaged  in  the  robbery,  and 
that  they  had  brought  all  the  plunder  to  Mrs.  Vreeland's 
tavern,  in  the  hope  of  getting  away  quietly  some  night  by 
canal  boat. 

"  What  have  you  done  with  the  jewelry?  "  asked  Bangs. 

"  It  is  hidden  in  the  room  where  you  found  us,"  replied 
Condon.  "Warden  hid  it  by  scratching  a  hole  in  the  soft 
earth  deep  enough  to  hide  the  carpet-sack  and  its  con- 
tents." 

"Did  Mrs.  Vreeland  know  what  you  came  for?"  asked 
Bangs. 

"  Oh  !  yes  ;  she  agreed  to  hide  us  and  get  a  canal  boat 
to  take  us  away,  for  a  watch  and  some  rings." 

Pangs  soon  unearthed  the  carpet-sack,  and  the  Sheriff  took 
charge  of  it  after  they  had  made  a  joint  inventory  of  all  the 
recovered  goods.  A  doctor  meanwhile  was  engaged  in 
dressing  Warden's  wound,  which  was  painful  but  not  at  all 
dangerous.  He  was  kept  in  irons  all  the  time,  as  it  was 
evident  that  he  was  a  dangerous  man.  who  would  not  hesi- 
tate to  risk  his  life  to  escape. 

After  consulting  together,  Bangs  and  the  Sheriff  decided 
not  to  arrest  Mrs.  Vreeland,  since  it  was  doubtful  whether 


THE  DETECTIVES.  127 

she  could  be  convicted.  As  her  character  was  now  clearly 
shown,  Bangs  ad\ised  the  Sheriff  to  keep  a  careful  watch 
upon  her  house,  and  possibly  she  might  be  detected  in  aiding 
some  plan  of  rascality  more  definitely  than  in  this  case,  and 
theji  she  would  receive  a  severe  sentence,  as  she  could  not 
plead  previous  good  character. 

The  t\vo  prisoners  were  taken  to  'Bromfield,  where,  in 
default  of  bail,  they  were  placed  in  jail  to  await  trial,  and  the 
property  was  returned  to  the  jeweller  to  whom  it  belonged. 

After  the  officers  had  left  the  house,  Clark,  Mrs.  Black, 
and  Mrs.  Vreeland  held  a  consultation  together.  The  two 
former  were  especially  sorry  that  the  detectives  had  seen 
them  under  such  circumstances,  for  they  feared  that  they 
would  now  be  watched  as  suspicious  characters.  They 
decided  to  return  to  Mariola  at  once,  to  inform  Wolff  of  the 
unfortunate  termination  of  their  visit. 

When  the  news  of  the  robbery  reached  Mariola  every  one 
was  much  excited  thereat,  and  the  general  opinion  was  that 
the  gang  would  soon  recommence  operations  in  that  city. 
The  speedy  capture  of  the  burglars  consoled  the  frightened 
villagers  somewhat,  but  they  were  greatly  surprised  to  think 
that  Warden  and  Condon  should  have  set  out  as  thieves. 
The  City  Marshal  was  often  joked  about  his  favorite  deputy, 
who  had  turned  out  to  be  a  desperate  burglar. 

Clark,  Wolff,  and  Davis  held  a  meeting  soon  after  Clark's 
return  from  Mrs.  Vreeland's.  Wolff  was  not  much  disturbed 
by  the  arrests,  though  he  was  sorry  that  Clark  and  Mrs. 
Black  should  have  been  seen  by  the  officers  under  such 
circumstances.  Every  one  would  be  on  the  look-out  for 


128  THE  MODEL    TOWN. 

thieves,  and  the  excitement  on  that  score  would  divert 
attention  from  any  other  form  of  rascality. 

"  Still  we  must  be  very  cautious,"  said  Wolff,  "  and  when 
we  are  ready  to  get  off  some  more  of  the  stuff,  I  think  it  can 
be  easily  managed." 

"  Oh  !  yes,"  said  Davis,  "  I  am  perfectly  safe  at  my  work, 
for  no  person  could  ever  suspect  anything  about  my  under- 
ground workshop." 

"  You  forget,"  said  Wolff,  "  that  they  found  the  trap-door 
in  Mrs.  Vreeland's  house." 

"  I  know  that,  but  they  did  not  find  it  until  they  had 
pulled  up  the  carpets  in  two  or  three  rooms.  Besides,  no 
one  would  know  I  had  a  trap-door,  even  if  they  did  pull  up 
the  carpet,  for  it  fits  just  like  the  rest  of  the  floor." 

"  Well,  we  need  not  be  alarmed  yet,"  said  Wolff,  "  for  no 
one  has  had  any  reafon  to  suspect  us.  Hereafter,  we  will 
be  doubly  careful." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

OLD  man  Walker  was  much  disturbed  at  the  news  of 
the  arrest  of  Warden  and  Condon,  because  he 
believed  that  detectives  were  at  work  in  the  affair.  Hays, 
Leitz,  and  Walker  were  talking  the  matter  over  one  evening, 
and  the  latter  said  that  he  was  afraid  they  would  be  forced 
to  act  very  cautiously  thereafter  in  everything  they  might 
undertake,  owing  to  the  probable  presence  of  detectives.  | 

"  Oh,  pshaw  !  I  ain't  afraid,"  said  Leitz,  "  and  I  don't 
think  detectives  had  anything  to  do  about  these  arrests.  It 
was  a  rough  job  all  the  way  through,  and  it  is  every  way 
likely  that  they  were  seen  in  Bromfield  and  tracked  to  Mrs. 
Vreeland's.  The  Sheriff  would  naturally  go  to  her  place 
anyhow." 

Just  then  Morgan  came  in  and  said  that  he  had  stepped 
into  the  Methodist  prayer-meeting  for  a  little  while,  and 
that  it  was  full  of  red-hot  teetotal  abstinence  advocates, 
who  were  working  themselves  up  into  a  fine  state  of  excite- 
ment. 

"  What's  the  special  grievance  now?"  asked  Leitz. 

"  Oh  !  they  say  that  all  these   robberies   and  burglaries 

ar;  caused  by  the  saloon-keepers,  and  that  if  the  saloons 

were  not  shut  up  there  would  soon  be  no  safety  for  decent 

people.     The  women  particularly  became  greatly  excited, 

•  6* 


13C  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

and  one  of  them  wanted  to  lead  a  mob  to  destroy  all  the 
saloons  and  all  the  liquor  in  the  place  ;  but  more  moderate 
counsel  prevailed  for  the  time,  and  the  meeting  broke  up 
without  taking  any  action.  There  is  a  great  feeling  over 
the  matter,  however,"  continued  Morgan,  "  and  I  should 
not  be  surprised  some  day  if  they  attempted  to  carry  out 
their  threat." 

"  What  do  you  think  about  it,  Walker  ? "  asked  Leitz. 
"Don't  you  think  it  would  be  well  to  ship  your  stock  of 
liquor  away,  keeping  a  small  supply  on  hand  for  immediate 
use  ?  " 

"  No,  never ,!  "  thundered  the  old  man,  drawing  up  his 
spare  figure  to  his  full  height  and  shaking  his  fist  at  his 
imaginary  foes.  "  Let  them  molest  me  if  they  dare.  This 
is  my  property  and  I  will  defend  it.  I  have  a  license  good 
for  five  months,  and  I  have  a  better  right  to  my  business  than 
other  men,  for  I  have  paid  for  the  privilege  of  carrying  it 
on.  If  they  try  to  destroy  me,  I  will  show  them  that  two 
can  play  at  that  game.  I  will " 

Leitz  caught  the  old  man's  eye,  made  a  gesture  of 
caution,  and  said  : 

"  Yes,  indeed  ;  you  can  call  upon  the  Sheriff  to  protect 
you.  Come,  let's  drink." 

"  All  right,"  said  Walker,  "  I'll  treat  you  all  this  time  and 
then  shut  up,  for  it's  getting  late.  I  guess  there's  no  use 
in  being  scared  yet  awhile,  and  when  anything  does  happen, 
it  will  be  time  enough  to  talk  about  what  we'll  do." 

As  they  passed  out  after  drinking  together,  Walker 
whispered  to  Hays  to  come  back  after  he  had  parted  from 


THE  DETECTIVES.  131 

Morgan.  Accordingly,  after  leaving  the  latter  at  his  house, 
Hays  slipped  back  to-  the  rear  door  of  Walker's  saloon,  and 
was  quickly  admitted  by  the  old  man.  As  he  expected, 
Hays  found  Leitz  there  also,  and  the  three  sat  down 
together. 

"  Hays,"  said  Leitz,  "  we  have  all  confidence  in  you,  and 
we  have  decided  to  take  you  into  our  plan.  Morgan  is  a 
pretty  good  man  to  go  'round  and  pick  up  news,  but  he  has 
no  nerve,  and  we  want  a  man  to  lead  him.  We  might  get 
other  saloon-keepers  to  join  us,  but  it  is  too  risky  to  trust 
ourselves  in  the  power  of  such  men.  Now  we  are  all  three 
bound  together  so  that  we  dare  not  betray  each  other,  and 
we  can  do  the  work  with,  perhaps,  Morgan's  help.  The 
old  man  has  a  plan  which  he  will  tell  you  himself." 

"Yes,  I  have  a  plan  for  revenge  on  these  canting  hypo- 
crites and  on  the  railroad  company,"  hissed  out  old  Walker. 
"  The  town  depends  on  the  railroad  for  its  very  life,  and  if 
we  can  drive  the  company  away  the  town  will  fade  out 
like  a  puff  of  smoke.  Now  I  propose  to  go  over  to  the 
embankment  some  dark  night  just  before  the  fast  train 
arrives,  and  draw  the  spikes  of  one  or  two  rails,  so  that  the 
train  will  be  thrown  off  the  track.  The  stoves  in  the  cars 
will  certainly  set  them  afire,  and  the  whole  train  will  be 
destroyed.  At  the  same  time  we -will  place  some  kindling- 
wood  soaked  in  oil  under  the  old  meeting-house  alongside 
of  a  keg  of  gunpowder,  and  will  set  it  off  by  a  long  fuse. 
Then  when  the  train  and  the  churc^l  are  burning  and 
blowing  up  together,  the  folks  will  receive  a  lesson  to  mind 
their  own  affairs." 


132  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

As  the  old  wretch  spoke,  or  rather  hissed  out  these  words, 
he  looked  a  personification  of  Satan  himself,  and  the  others 
listened  attentively  without  moving  a  muscle.  For  several 
seconds  not  a  word  was  spoken  ;  then  Walker  strode  over 
ro  Leitz  and  held  out  his  right  hand,  which  Leitz  grasped. 

"Dare  you  do  it?"  Walker  said  to  Hays,  holding  out 
his  left  hand. 

"  I  dare  anything  with  you,"  replied  Hays,  taking  the 
proffered  hand. 

"  Then  swear  !  "  said  Walker. 

"  I  swear  to  carry  out  your  wishes  and  to  be  faithful  to 
you  till  death,"  said  Leitz  solemnly. 

Hays  repeated  a  similar  oath,  and  Walker  swore  to  do 
nothing  without  their  advice  and  to  be  faithful  to  them 
forever.  Then  he  raised  a  bottle  of  whiskey  to  his  lips, 
drank  heavily,  and  passed  it  'round. 

"Now  I  am  captain,"  said  Walker,  "and  I  will  tell  you 
my  whole  plan.  We  must  wait  until  the  court  meets,  when 
we  can  determine  what  steps  our  enemies  are  going  to  take. 
Meantime  we  must  get  the  powder  and  fuse." 

"  Lucy  and  I  will  attend  to  that,"  said  Leitz.  "  She  can 
buy  the  fuse  in  Chicago  when  she  goes  there  next  week, 
and  we  can  buy  the  powder  here  in  small  quantities  with- 
out attracting  attention."  ' 

"  We  must  be  very  careful,  however,"  said  Hays  slowly. 
"  We  must  be  sure  to  have  no  failure  in  the  working  of  our 
plan,  and  to  leave  no  clues  for  detection." 

"  Yes,  we  must  watch  every  one,"  said  Walker,  approv- 
•.ngly. 


THE  DETECTIVES.  133 

"  Shall  you  tell  Morgan?  "  asked  Hays. 

"  No,  not  just  now,"  replied  Walker.  "  We  shall  prob- 
ably need  him  when  the  time  comes,  but  there  is  no  need 
of  telling  him  until  then." 

The  party  then  broke  up  and  left  old  Walker  alone. 

As  the  time  for  holding  court  approached,  the  excitement 
was  very  great,  and  many  of  the  citizens  of  Mariola  went 
over  to  Columbia,  the  county  s,eat,  while  the  grand  jury  was 
sitting.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  session  it  was  announced 
that  the  jury  had  found  indictments  against  Curran  on  twenty 
different  counts,  and  against  Cook  and  Wallace  on  three 
counts  each.  Curran  was  playing  the  insane  dodge,  but  he 
showed  a  remarkable  amount  of  common-sense  in  his  man- 
agement of  his  property  ;  fearing  that  civil  actions  to  recover 
the  value  of  goods  stolen  by  him  might  be  brought  against 
him,  he  deeded  all  his  property  to  a  brother,  on  the  ground 
that  this  brother  had  lent  him  the  money  to  buy  his  farm,  etc. 
Besides  the  indictments  above  mentioned,  the  jury  brought 
indictments  against  Walker,  Wolff,  and  all  the  other  saloon- 
keepers in  Mariola,  for  selling  liquor  on  Sunday.  All  these 
cases  were  continued  until  the  next  term  of  court,  to  give 
the  accused  time  to  prepare  their  defence,  and  the  judge 
then  went  to  the  adjoining  county,  where  Warden  was  in 
jail.  In  like  manner  their  cases  were  continued,  and  the  ex- 
citement temporarily  abated. 

In  a  few  days  Clark  went  over  to  see  Warden  in  jail,  and 
found  him  pale  and  weak,  but  determined  to  escape.  He 
asked  Clark  to  get  Wolff  to  smuggle  in  to  him  a  steel  saw 
and  a  revolver,  for  he  only  needed  to  cut  a  few  bars  "to  eri 


134  THE   MODEL    TOWN  AND 

able  him  to  reach  the  outside.  Once  free,  with  a  revolver  to 
defend  himself,  he  declared  that  he  would  not  be  retaken 
alive.  Claric  promised  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  aid  him> 
and  then  returned  to  Mariola. 

Wolff  was  the  only  man  upon  whom  the  prisoners  could 
depend,  and  he  was  frequently  obliged  to  pay  out  money 
on  their  account.  First,  the  four  counterfeiters  sent  to  him 
for  enough  to  pay  a  lawyer  to  defend  them ;  then  Esquire 
Harvey,  who  had  been  retained  by  all  the  Mariola  criminals, 
applied  for  a  large  retaining  fee  ,  and  in  addition  to  these 
demands  Davis  was  continually  asking  for  money  for  mate- 
rials and  for  his  own  use.  Wolff  paid  all  these  expenses,  but 
he  grumbled  about  it,  and  declared  that  if  the  prisoners  did 
not  escape  before  trial  they  would  have  to  shift  for  them- 
selves, as  he  could  not  afford  to  pay  all  their  lawyers'  fees, 
etc. 

Meantime  Davis  worked  steadily  in  his  subterranean 
workshop,  and  by  the  end  of  April  he  had  finished  $3,200  in 
gold  and  $1,000  in  silver  coin.  It  was  of  nearly  the  exact 
weight,  size,  and  appearance  of  the  genuine  article,  and  few 
persons  could  have  detected  its  counterfeit  character,  ex- 
cept by  cutting. 

Webster  had  become  so  intimate  with  Wolff,  that  the 
latter  had  appointed  him  to  act  as  clerk  while  Clark  and 
Wolff  were  away  getting  rid  of  the  counterfeit  money. 
When  their  plans  had  all  been  arranged,  Clark  wrote  to 
jne  exactly  how  they  were  to  proceed,  and  I  immediately 
arranged  for  their  capture.  Bangs  obtained  warrants  from 
the  United  States  Commissioner,  and  then  went  quietly  with 


THE  DETECTIVES.  135 

three  assistants  to  Winchester,  where  they  appeared  at  the 
Airy  House  as  stock-drovers.  Here  they  awaited  the  arrival 
of  their  game. 

On  the  night  determined  upon,  Clark  and  Wolff  prepared 
for  their  journey.  They  each  had  a  fine  riding  horse  sad- 
dled, and  Clark  started  off  at  ten  o'clock  with  all  the  coun- 
terfeit gold  coin  in  a  pair  of  saddle-bags.  The  silver  coin 
was  left  behind,  on  account  of  its  weight,  and  Davis  took 
it  back  to  his  workshop  for  safe  keeping. 

About  midnight  Wolff  followed  Clark,  taking  a  slightly 
different  route.  About  day-break  Clark  reached  Winchester, 
after  a  slow  ride,  and  went  directly  to  Mrs.  Vreeland's  tavern. 
After  putting  his  horse  in  the  stable,  he  walked  into  the 
house,  with  his  saddle-bags  over  his  arm,  as  carelessly  as  if 
they  contained  nothing  but  rubbish.  Mrs.  Vreeland  greeted 
him  warmly,  and  said  that  she  would  take  care  of  his  saddle- 
bags, as  she  supposed  they  contained  valuable  articles  which 
it  would  not  be  safe  to  leave  around  carelessly.  Clark 
told  her  that  she  was  quite  right,  and  that  she  must  find  a  safe 
place.  Accordingly  she  carried  them  to  her  own  room  and 
hid  them  underneath  her  dresses  hanging  up  in  her  closet.  In 
a  few  hours  Wolff  arrived,  he  having  gone  to  several  places 
to  let  the  men  know  that  they  could  get  the  counterfeit  money 
by  calling  at  the  tavern  that  night.  He  paid  no  attention  to 
Clark,  and  no  one  seeing  them  would  have  supposed  them 
to  be  acquainted  with  each  other  ;  but  they  succeeded  h; 
meeting  in  Mrs.  Vreeland's  room  and  arranging  their  plans. 
The  day  passed  quietly,  and  shortly  after  dark  the  pur- 
chasers of  the  "  coney  "  money  began  to  drop  in.  There 


136  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

were  only  four  in  all,  but  they  took  a  good  deal  of  time  to 
count,  weigh,  and  test  the  coin.  When  they  had  gone, 
Wolff  gave  Mrs.  Vreeland  $200,  which  she  was  to  pay  for 
when  she  had  disposed  of  it. 

After  Wolff  had  retired  Clark  joined  Mrs.  Vreeland  in  the 
.    .  « 

sitting-room,  and  they  chatted  together  for  some  time, — in- 
deed he  made  love  to  her  quite  furiously.  He  suggested 
that  she  would  have  to  be  very  careful  about  handling  the 
bogus  coin,  and  that  she  ought  to  have  a  safe  place  to  hide 
the  bulk  of  it  while  she  was  disposing  of  it  piece  by  piece, 
since  she  would  be  in  a  bad  predicament  if  the  whole  quan- 
tity should  be  discovered.  She  laughed  and  said  that  there 
was  no  danger,  for  she  had  hidden  the  money  where  no  one 
would  ever  look  for  it  ;  then  taking  hold  of  the  edge  of  her 
balmoral  skirt,  she  showed  him  that  she  had  quilted  in  each 
piece  of  coin  in  a  separate  tuck. 

Meantime  Bangs  was  carefully  watching  the  house,  and 
as  each  purchaser  of  the  bogus  money  came  out  he  was 
followed  to  his  home  by  the  assistants  whom  Bangs  had 
with  him.  When  all  was  quiet  and  the  lights  in  the  tavern 
put  out,  Bangs  commenced  active  operations.  A  man 
named  Gardner  was  the  first  of  the  counterfeit  purchasers 
to  be  visited,  and  after  arresting  him  they  found  about  $600 
of  the  coin  hidden  away  between  two  mattrasses.  The 
next  victim  was  a  well-to-do  farmer,  owning  a  large  and  val- 
uable place  of  eighty  acres.  The  remaining  two  were  soon 
raptured.  The  money  found  at  each  place  was  counted, 
sealed  up,  and  marked,  and  the  prisoners  were  all  taken  to 
the  Airy  House.  Leaving  them  under  a  strong  guard,  and 


THE  DETECTIVES.  137 

placing  the  bogus  coin  in  the  safe  of  the  hotel,  Bangs  pre- 
pared to  descend  upon  the  more  important  criminals  at 
Mrs.  Vreeland's  tavern.  On  arriving  there,  he  stationed  his 
men  so  as  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  any  one  escaping, 
and  then  he  boldly  knocked  at  the  main  door.  In  a  few 
minutes  Mrs.  Vreeland  called  out : 

"  Who  is  there  ?  " 

"  Jim  Styles  and  two  friends,"  responded  Bangs. 

"  All  right,  Jim,  I'll  be  down  directly,"  and  she  soon 
appeared  at  the  door. 

Bangs  instantly  seized  her  hands  and  slipped  a  pair  of 
handcuffs  on  her  wrists  before  she  had  time  to  say  a  word 
or  make  a  motion.  She  had  evidently  expected  a  very  dif- 
ferent style  of  visitor,  and  had  merely  put  on  her  balmoral 
skirt  and  a  loose  sack.  Bangs  noticed  the  skirt  with  much 
pleasure,  for  Clark  had  slipped  out  after  leaving  Mrs.  Vree- 
land, and  had  told  him  where  she  had  hidden  her  money. 

Leaving  Mrs.  Vreeland  in  charge  of  a  detective,  Bangs 
hastened  up  to  Wolff 's  room,  and  without  any  ceremony 
proceeded  to  kick  the  door  open.  As  he  reached  the  bed- 
side, he  found  Wolff  just  springing  up  and  rushing  toward 
the  window.  On  finding  that  he  was  caught,  however, 
Wolff  sullenly  inquired  what  was  the  matter. 

"Well,  I  shall  have  to  ask  you  to  go  with  me  for  a  short 
trip,  so  put  on  your  clothes  as  quickly  as  possible,"  said 
Bangs. 

"What  do  you  want  of  me?"  asked  Wolff.  "I  have 
done  nothing." 

"  I  did  not  say  you  had  done  anything,"  replied  Bangs, 


138  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

cooly ;  "  but  I  have  orders  to  arrest  every  one  found  in  this 
house,  and  so  you  may  as  well  come  without  making  any 
trouble.'' 

Before  Bangs  allowed  Wolff  to  dress,  however,  he  took 
the  precaution  to  search  his  clothes,  being  rewarded  by 
the  discovery  of  two  revolvers,  a  dirk  knife,  and  two  rolls  of 
bogus  coin.  Then  the  saddle-bags  were  found  stowed  under 
the  bolster,  and  they  contained  such  a  quantity  of  counter- 
feit money  that  Wolff  had  nothing  further  to  say. 

"  This  is  a  remarkably  good  imitation  of  the  genuine 
article,"  said  Bangs,  as  he  looked  at  some  of  the  money 
before  sealing  it  up  ;  "  who  made  this  for  you  ?  " 

Wolff  maintained  a  dogged  silence,  but  he  plainly  showed 
that  he  was  completely  overwhelmed  by  his  misfortune. 
When  he  was  dressed,  Bangs  put  handcuffs  on  his  wrists  and 
gave  him  in  charge  of  an  assistant  to  take  down-stairs.  An 
idea  seemed  to  strike  Wolff's  mind  at  this  moment,  and  he 
said  : 

"  I  wish  I  could  send  word  to  Mrs.  Black  in  Mariola,  for 
I  shall  want  her  to  get  bail  for  me." 

"  Well,  I  guess  you  can  get  a  messenger,"  said  Bangs, 
"  but  there  is  no  one  about  the  hotel  now  that  can  go.  If 
you  have  any  friends  in  Winchester  I  have  no  objection  to 
letting  you  see  them." 

"There  is  a  man  stopping  here  who  used  to  board  at  my 
hotel  occasionally,"  said  Wolff,  "  and  I  guess  he  would  take 
a  message  for  me.  He  is  right  in  the  next  room." 

"  Another  man  stopping  here  ? "  queried  Bangs j  as  if 
greatly  surprised.  "  I  shall  have  to  see  about  that." 


THE  DETECTIVES.  139 

So  saving  he  went  to  Clark's  door,  quickly  forced  it  open, 
and  told  Clark  to  consider  himself  under  arrest.  The  room 
was  then  thoroughly  searched,  while  Clark  was  put  into 
WolfT's  room  to  dress  ;  but  as  no  counterfeit  coin  was  found, 
and  as  Clark  protested  that  he  was  an  innocent  traveller, 
Bangs  was  forced  to  let  him  go,  though  he  pretended  that  he 
did  it  very  unwillingly. 

"You  maybe  all  right,"  said  Bangs,  "but  you  are  in 
mighty  bad  company,  and  I've  a  good  notion  to  hold  you 
anyhow." 

"  You  have  no  kind  of  proof  against  me  at  all,"  said 
Clark.  "  I  merely  happened  to  stop  at  this  tavern  yesterday 
because  it  was  convenient,  and  I  don't  know  anything  about 
these  folks." 

"  This  man  Wolff  says  he  knows  you,"  replied  Bangs. 

"  Well,  what  of  that  ?  "  asked  Clark  ;  "  I  have  travelled 
a  good  deal  through  this  part  of  the  country,  and  I  have 
stopped  a  few  times  at  his  hotel.  That's  all  I  know  about 
him." 

"  Then  you  pretend  to  say  that  you  didn't  come  here  to 
meet  him  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  didn'  t  ;  but  even  if  I  did,  what  right  have 
you  to  arrest  me  ?  Where  is  your  warrant  ?  '' 

Bangs  was  obliged  to  admit  that  he  had  no  warrant. 

"Well,  then,  if  you  dare  to  arrest  me  I'll  have  you  in- 
dicted for  false  arrest,"  said  Clark  in  high  wrath.  "  I'll  show 
you  that  you  can't  arrest  honest  travellers  for  nothing." 

"  Don't  you  get  impudent,"  replied  Bangs,  "  or  I  will  take 
you  on  general  suspicion.  I  don't  believe  you  would  care 


140  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

to  try  any  suit  against  me.  However,  I  have  no  warrant 
for  you,  and  I  guess  I  will  let  you  go ;  but  I  shall  keep  you 
here  until  1  am  ready  to  go  away  myself." 

Clark  aquiesced  with  a  bad  grace,  as  if  he  thought  himself 
very  unjustly  treated  ;  but  he  had  no  alternative,  and  so  he 
and  Wolff  were  taken  down  to  the  sitting-room,  where  all 
the  other  inmates  of  the  house  were  confined.  Meantime 
all  the  rooms  had  been  thoroughly  searched  by  Bangs'  as- 
sistants, except  Mrs.  Vreeland's  bed-chamber,  and  Bangs 
said  : 

"  Mrs.  Vreeland,  I  am  going  to  search  your  room  and 
your  clothing,  and  you  can  go  up  with  us  while  we  do  so." 

"  You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself  to  keep  me  here 
with  these  irons  on,"  replied  the  indignant  hostess.  "  If 
you  had  not  told  me  a  lie  by  claiming  to  be  Jim  Styles,  I 
would  not  have  let  you  in." 

''Well,  it  can't  be  helped  now,"  replied  Bangs,  good- 
humoredly  ;  "so  come  along  and  let  us  see  what  you  have 
hidden  in  your  room." 

"  Well,  what  are  you  looking  after  this  time  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  guess  you  know  well  enough,"  said  Bangs,  "  and  if  you 
want  any  further  information  I  will  give  it  to  you  after  I  have 
finished  the  search." 

It  took  nearly  an  hour  to  search  Mrs.  Vreeland's  room 
and  all  her  dresses,  for  each  article  was  carefully  investi- 
gated in  every  part,  until  there  was  not  a  place  left  unex- 
amined  which  would  hold  a  mouse  ;  but  no  bogus  coin  was 
found,  and  Mrs.  Vreeland's  spirits  evidently  rose  very  high, 
though  she  said  nothing. 


THE    DETECTIVES.  141 

After  every  nook  and  corner  had  been  examined,  Bangs 
stood  a  moment  and  thought.  Then  he  remarked,  as  if 
soliloquizing  : 

"  Well,  I  guess  we  have  captured  all  they  had,  for  we 
have  searched  every  inch  of  the  house  and  all  the  clothes  of 
all  the  inmates." 

"Then  you'll  let  me  go,  won't  you?"  asked  Mrs.  Vree- 
land  eagerly. 

"  I  guess  so,"  said  Bangs,  "for  we  haven't  found  any  of  the 
counterfeit  money  in  your  possession." 

"Counterfeit  money!  You  don't  suppose  that  I  would 
pass  counterfeit  money,  do  you?"  exclaimed  the  virtuous 
Mrs.  Vreeland. 

"  Oh  !  we  have  to  suspect  everybody,  madam,"  replied 
Bangs  politely ;  "  and  that  reminds  me — I  hav,en't  searched 
the  clothes  you  have  on.  I  guess  we  shall  have  to  do  that 
simp%  as  a  matter  of  form,  you  know, — only  a  matter  of 
form." 

"  You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself,"  stammered  Mrs. 
Vreeland,  turning  ghastly  pale  ;  "  you  might  have  some  re- 
spect for  my  sex  if  you  have  none  for  my  word." 

"Really  I  am  very  sorry,"  said  Bangs,  "but  my  duty 
must  be  done,  and  I  shall  have  to  ask  you  for  that  shawl  and 
skirt.  Here  are  others  that  you  can  change  them  for." 

"  Oh  !  for  shame,  you  wretch  !  have  you  no  regard  for 
my  modesty  ?  Think  how  you  would  like  to  have  your  wife, 
your  sister,  or  your  mother  treated  in  this  brutal  manner  ! 
Have  you  no  decency,  man  ?  " 

"Madam,"   replied  Bangs,   with  some  acerbity,  "if  in) 


143  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

wife  or  sister  or  mother  kept  a  resort  for  thieves  and 
counterfeiters,  she  would  have  to  take  the  consequences  of 
her  own  unlawful  actions.  I  don't  wish  to  shock  you  nor 
shame  your  sense  of  decency,  but  your  clothing  I  must  have, 
and  the  sooner  you  change  it  the  better  it  will  be  for  your 
comfort." 

"  Never  !  never  !  "  she  shrieked  hysterically.  "  I  will 
die  first,  but  you  shall  not  expose  my  person  on  pretence 
of  searching  my  clothing." 

"  There  is  no  need  to  do  so,"  answered  Bangs  ;  ' '  you  can 
slip  one  skirt  over  your  head  and  let  the  other  drop  after 
the  first  is  fastened." 

"  No,  sir ;  I  will  not.  This  is  an  outrage — I  will  not 
submit- " 

"  Well,  Jake,'''  said  Bangs,  tired  of  parleying  with  a 
woman  whose  pretensions  to  modesty  were  only  a  cloak  to 
hide  her  from  a  different  kind  of  exposure,  "you  pt*  this 
skirt  over  her  head  and  I  will  drop  the  other," 

As  they  approached  her,  Mrs.  Vreeland  saw  that  resist- 
ance would  be  useless,  and  therefore  quieted  down  and 
sullenly  agreed  to  make  the  change  herself.  On  receiving 
the  skirt,  the  wily  Bangs  carefully  felt  of  it  until  he  came  to 
one  of  the  coins,  which  he  cut  out.  He  took  out  several 
others  to  identify  them,  and  then  made  up  the  skirt  in  a 
sealed  package  to  be  used  as  testimony  on  the  trial. 
Having  secured  the  objects  of  his  search  without  betraying 
Clark's  share  in  the  arrests,  Bangs  allowed  Mrs.  Vreeland 
to  enter  her  room  alone  to  dress,  and  then  put  all  the 
prisoners  in  the  sitting-room  until  daylight,  which  soon 


THE  DETECTIVES.  143 

came.  He  then  marched  them  all  to  the  Airy  House, 
where  they  had  breakfast  before  leaving  for  Chicago.  On 
taking  the  early  train  for  that  city,  Bangs  gave  Clark  his 
liberty,  saying  that  he  ought  to  be  more  careful  of  his 
associates  in  future. 

Bangs  soon  delivered  his  prisoners  to  the  United  States 
Marshal  and  immediately  started  for  Mariola,  arriving  just 
before  Clark,  who  rode  over  from  Winchester.  The  first 
place  that  Bangs  visited  was  the  house  of  Davis  the  watch- 
maker, and  he  had  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  complete 
evidence  of  his  guilt.  On  being  told  that  there  was  a  war- 
rant for  his  arrest,  Davis  broke  down  completely,  and  sat  in 
a  sort  of  stupor  after  being  placed  in  irons,  taking  no 
interest  in  the  search  of  his  house.  Bangs  quickly  found 
the  trap-door,  but  he  professed  to  be  unable  to  get  it  open 
except  by  using  an  axe.  Entrance  was  soon  obtained,  and 
in  a  short  time  all  the  implements  of  counterfeiting  were 
passed  out  and  boxed  up  to  be  used  on  the  trial.  In 
addition  to  the  moulds,  dies,  etc.,  the  detectives  found 
the  rolls  of  fifty-cent  pieces  which  Wolff  had  sent  back. 
They  next  searched  Wolff's  tavern,  much  to  Mrs.  Black's 
alarm,  but  nothing  was  found  there.  Immediately  on  learn- 
ing that  Wolff  had  been  arrested,  Mrs.  Black  took  complete 
charge  of  the  tavern  and  managed  it  for  her  own  benefit, 
as  there  was  no  one  to  call  her  to  account.  She  did  not 
seem  greatly  afflicted  at  Wolff's  enforced  absence,  but 
welcomed  Clark  back  with  the  utmost  cordiality. 

Bangs  had  proceeded  so  quietly  that  his  object  in  visiting 
Mariola  was  not  suspected  until  he  had  arrested  Dans  and 


144  THE  MODEL    TOWN. 

was  preparing  to  return  to  Chicago  with  him.  Then  the 
excitement  became  intense,  and  every  one  in  the  town 
turned  out  to  see  the  prisoner  and  the  detectives.  People 
gathered  on  every  street  corner  to  discuss  the  great  topic, 
and  to  congratulate  each  other  that  the  gang  of  counterfeit- 
ers had  been  broken  up.  They  generally  agreed  in  attri- 
buting to  these  men  all  the  acts  of  crime  the  detection  of 
which  had  so  baffled  their  efforts  theretofore ;  and  in  this 
view  my  detectives,  according  to  my  instructions,  seemed 
to  coincide.  Thus  there  was  great  rejoicing,  for  it  was 
universally  believed  that  the  whole  gang  of  scoundrels  who 
had  been  engaged  in  plundering  and  injuring  Mariola  were 
now  safely  locked  up. 

In  a  few  days  the  counterfeiters  were  arraigned  before 
the  United  States  commissioner,  and  were  held  for  trial, 
Wolff  and  Davis  in  the  sum*  of  $3,000  each,  and  the  others 
in  the  sum  of  $1,000  each.  Failing  in  obtaining  bondsmen, 
they  were  all  sent  to  jail  to  await  trial. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

MORGAN  was  one  of  the  first  men  in  Mariola  to  hear 
of  the  arrest  of  Wolff,  Davis,  and  the  others,  and  he 
immediately  began  a  conversation  with  one  of  the  detec- 
tives. Having  learned  all  that  he  could,  he  hurried  to 
Walker's  restaurant  to  tell  the  news.  Hays  was  already 
there  and  Leitz  soon  dropped  in.  Morgan  related  all  that 
he  had  learned,  and  drew  upon  his  imagination  for  a  great 
deal  more.  He  said  that  the  detectives  assur^i  him  that 
there  would  be  no  more  danger  of  robberies  and  fires,  for 
the  last  of  the  criminals  of  th*e  town  had  been  captured. 
King  was  then  sent  out  to  learn  the  current  talk  among  the 
townspeople,  and  the  three  men  sat  down  to  discuss  the 
situation. 

"  Now  is  our  time  to  strike  a  blow,"  said  old  Walker. 
"  They  are  flushed  with  success  and  think  that  there  is  no 
one  left  here  to  do  them  any  injury.  Ha  !  ha  !  we'll  show 
them  the  biggest  scheme  yet.  They  are  thrown  off  their 
guard  now  ;  they  have  no  suspicions  of  any  one,  and  if  we 
act  at  once  they  will  suppose  our  actions  were  done  out  of 
revenge  for  Wolff's  arrest.  They  will  instantly  suspect  his 
friends — those  fe  lows  Clark  and  Webster — and  we  shall 
have  our  revenge  without  any  danger  to  ourselves." 

"  Yes,  I  agree  with  you,"  said  Leitz,  "  especially  after 
7 


140  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

hearing  what  that  detective  told  Morgan.  They  are  all  a 
set  of  blowhards,  and  the  minute  they  succeed  in  the  least 
thing  they  begin  to  brag  about  it.  How  they  will  open 
their  eyes  when  we  blow  up  the  old  meeting-house  !  " 

"That's  so,"  echoed  Hays;  "I  don't  think  we  could 
choose  a  better  time.  They  will  give  up  watching  for  any- 
thing unusual,  and  our  scheme  will  strike  them  like  a 
thunder-clap  out  of  a  clear  sky." 

"  I  think  we  have  been  mistaken  about  Morgan,"  said 
Walker  reflectively.  "  He  has  always  told  us  the  truth  so 
far  as  I  know,  and  he  came  straight  to  us  with  the  story 
about  Wolff  and  Davis.  Don't  you  think  we  can  trust  him 
to  take  part  in  this  affair,  Leitz  ?  " 

"Well,  I  think  we  can.  I  don't  consider  that  he  is 
worth  anything  as  a  planner,  but  I  think  he  would  work 
faithfully  under  proper  control.  What  do  you  think, 
Hays?" 

"  I  suppose  I  may  have  been  mistaken,"  said  Hays,  "  and 
if  you  and  Walker  believe  that  Morgan  is  a  good  man,  I 
shall  have  no  objection  to  him.  You  have  both  known  him 
longer  than  I,  and,  as  Walker  says,  he  seems  to  have  told 
the  truth  ;  so  whenever  you  are  ready,  old  man,  lay  out  the 
work  and  I  will  do  my  share  of  it." 

"That's  the  talk,"  said  the  old  reprobate  delightedly; 
"  now  listen  to  my  plan  :  I  propose  that  two  of  us  shall  go 
to  the  meeting-house,  taking  the  shavings,  oil,  fuse,  and  gun- 
powder. At  the  same  time  the  other  two  will  go  to  the 
railroad  track  at  the  curve  on  the  bluff.  When  they  have 
drawn  the  spikes  and  taken  up  the  outer  rail,  they  can 


THE  DETECTIVES.  147 

come  away  and  leave  the  train  to  its  fate.  It  will  get  in  a 
little  before  three  o'clock,  and  my  idea  is  to  fire  the  church 
about  half  past  two  o'clock,  so  as  to  give  the  passengers  a 
fine  scene  before  they  make  their  great  flying  leap.  Won't 
it  be  glorious  ?  " 

The  expression  on  the  face  of  the  old  wretch  was  perfectly 
devilish,  and  one  might  have  supposed  him  crazy,  were  it 
not  that  his  plans  were  laid  with  such  carefulness  as  to 
show  him  to  be  perfectly  sane. 

The  three  men  then  drank  succsss  to  their  scheme,  and 
Walker  proceeded  to  give  his  plan  in  detail. 

"  I  think,  Hays,  that  as  you  and  Morgan  are  the 
youngest,"  he  said,  "  you  had  better  attend  to  the  railroad, 
while  Leitz  and  I  will  fix  the  church.  I  have^a  claw-bar 
with  which  you  can  draw  the  spikes;  and  I  have  also  all  the 
kindling-wood,  oil,  powder,  and*fuse  with  which  we  can  send 
the  whole  affair  to  kingdom  come.  We  must  be  careful  to 
finish  our  work  and  be  at  home  in  bed  in  time  to  avoid 
detection.  I  will  fix  the  Marshal  all  right  by  giving  him  a 
heavy  dose  of  whiskey  early  in  the  evening.  Then  when 
he  is  roused  up,  he  will  be  too  stupid  to  take  any  decided 
action,  and  half  the  wrath  of  the  church  hypocrites  will  be 
expended  on  him  for  not  catching  us." 

"  At  what  time  shall  we  start  out  ?  "  asked  Hays. 

"  Well,  I  will  see  Morgan  to-morrow,"  replied  Walker, 
"and  then  we  will  decide  upon  some  day  next  week." 

"  Are  you  sure  that  Morgan  will  go  in  ?  "  said  Hays. 

"  Oh  !  yes,  he  will  do  anything  I  tell  him,  and  will  be  glad 
to  be  taken  intn  our  confidence.  Now  let  us  break  up,  for  we 


148  THE   MODEL    TOWN  AND 

must  be  very  careful  not  to  attract  any  especial  attention 
to  ourselves  before  the  affair  takes  place." 

The  next  day  Walker  told  Leitz  and  Hays  that  he  had 
decided  to  carry  out  their  scheme  the  following  Friday 
night,  and  a  meeting  of  the  four  men  was  held  that  evening 
to  arrange  all  the  details  of  the  plan.  Nothing  now  re- 
mained to  be  done  until  the  eventful  night. 

As  the  reader  has  probably  already  surmised,  Hays  was 
one  of  my  detectives,  and  every  movement  of  the  precious 
trio  with  whom  he  was  associated  wat,  instantly  reported  to 
me.  On  learning  the  full  particulars  of  their  fiendish  de- 
sign I  made  arrangements  to  defeat  them.  I  first  wrote  to 
Mr.  Lincoln  an  account  of  the  plot,  and  cautioned  him  not 
to  frustrate jny  plans  by  being  too  hasty,  but  to  follow  out 
my  instructions  to  the  letter.  One  man  with  a  red  signal 
light  was  to  be  stationed  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  down  the 
track  to  stop  the  incoming  train ;  several  others  were  to 
hide  themselves  close  to  the  spot  where  the  rail  was  to  be 
removed  ;  still  another  party  was  to  be  hidden  around  the 
church,  and  others  near  Walker's  and  Leitz' s  houses. 

Then  when  Hays  and  Morgan  had  fairly  removed  the 
rail  they  were  to  be  captured  instantly  by  the  men  in  am- 
bush. In  like  manner,  after  Walker  and  Leitz  had  placed 
the  kindling  wood,  the  powder,  and  the  fuse,  and  had 
lighted  the  latter,  the  citizens  were  to  spring  upon  them, 
disconnect  the  fuse,  and  take  the  men  prisoners.  In  case 
they  escaped  at  first,  they  would  nevertheless  fall  into  the 
nands  of  the  other  guards  watching  the  houses. 

In  compliance  with  Mr.  Lincoln's  earnest  entreaty,  I  went 


THE  DETECTIVES.  149 

to  Mariola  myself  to  superintend  the  counterplot,  and 
when  the  night  came  everything  was  in  readiness.  I  posted 
myself  where  I  could  see  Walker's  house,  and  early  in  the 
evening  I  saw  the  three  men  assemble  there.  The  hours 
passed  very  slowly,  but  at  length  the  time  approached  when 
the  attempt  should  be  made,  and  we  were  all  alert  to  see 
the  first  move  in  the  affair.  But  no  one  emerged  from 
Walker's  house  and  I  began  to  feel  nervous.  At  length  I 

o  o 

saw  Hays  and  Morgan  come  out  together,  and  the  latter 
immediately  went  home.  Hays  took  the  direction  of  a  spot 
where  I  had  agreed  to  meet  him  in  case  of  any  change  of 
programme,  and  I  therefore  went  there  at  once. 

He  then  explained  that  old  Walker  had  had  a  very  severe 
attack  of  cholera  morbus,  and  they  had  been  afraid  he  would 
die.  He  had  recovered,  however,  and  Leitz  was  sitting  up 
with  him.  In  consequence  of  this  accident  the  attacks  on 
the  railroad  and  on  the  church  had  been  postponed  indefin- 
itely, but  they  were  resolved  to  carry  them  out  as  soon  as 
Walker  recovered.  I  instantly  sent  a  messenger  to  call  in 
the  man  with  the  signal  lantern,  and  also  the  other  parties, 
and  after  cautioning  them  not  to  mention  their  night's  work 
to  any  one,  we  all  went  to  our  respective  beds. 

It  was  three  days  before  Walker  felt  able  to  undertake 
the  job  he  had  planned,  but  Tuesday  was  finally  selected  for  its 
execution.  He  was  nerved  up  to  a  state  of  feverish  anxiety, 
and  his  eyes  were  even  more  snaky  and  restless  than  usual. 
In  the  afternoon  Leitz  came  over  and  borrowed  a  suit  of 
clothes  of  Walker,  as  the  night  was  likely  to  be  rainy  and 
he  had  only  one  suit.  Of  course  it  would  not  do  to  get 


150  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

that  suit  wet,  for  in  case  of  a  search  of  his  house  after  the 
'•accidents"  had  occurred,  the  wet  clothes  would  betray 
him. 

I  had  returned  to  Chicago  Saturday  morning,  and  my 
business  was  so  pressing  that  I  was  unable  to  be  present 
Tuesday  night ;  but  I  had  given  Messrs.  Lincoln  and 
P>rown  such  minute  instructions  that  I  felt  sure  nothing 
could  go  wrong. 

The  three  men  met  as  before  at  Walker's  saloon  early  in 
the  evening,  and  spent  the  time  until  after  midnight  in 
drinking  and  playing  cards.  They  were  careful  not  to  drink 
enough  to  intoxicate,  but  only  to  enliven  their  spirits, 
The  night  was  very  dark  and  stormy,  the  rain  falling  in  tor- 
rents, but  about  one  o'clock  Hays  and  Morgan  started  out. 
They  soon  reached  the  curve  and  began  work.  Hays  had 
the  claw-bar,  but  he  handled  it  so  clumsily  that  Morgan 
snatched  it  from  him  and  soon  drew  the  first  spike.  The 
others  followed  in  quick  succession*  and  in  a  few  minutes 
the  work  was  done — no  train  could  reach  that  point  without 
going  over  the  steep  embankment. 

Meanwhile  Walker  and  Leitz  left  the  saloon,  each  carry- 
ing a  portion  of  the  incendiary  articles.  They  proceeded 
with  great  caution,  but  they  soon  reached  the  church,  the 
door  of  which  Walker  kicked  open  with  little  effort.  Hav- 
ing arranged  everything  satisfactorily,  they  stretched  out  the 
fuse,  lit  it,  and  hurried  home.  The  fuse  could  not  be  extin- 
guished by  water,  and  it  burned  steadily  on,  spitting  and 
hissing  as  the  water  occasionally  retarded  the  combustion 
somewhat,  yet  never  stopping  nor  going  out.  From  the 


a 

3 

u 


THE  DETECTIVES.  151 

gate  through  the  yard  the  fire  ran,  then  up  the  steps  and  on 
through  the  vestibule  ;  up  the  broad  aisle  it  hastened  more 
rapidly,  being  dry,  and  finally  the  kindling  was  reached. 
The  oil-soaked  sticks  quickly  blazed  up  and  created  an  in- 
tense heat ;  then  the  whole  interior  was  ablaze,  a  terrible 
explosion  followed,  and  the  Methodist  church  was  a  thing 
of  the  past.  The  incoming  passengers  saw  from  the  car 
windows  a  bright  light  reaching  to  and  reddening  the  heavy 
clouds  hanging  over  Mariola  ;  and  at  the  same  time  they 
were  rushing  on  toward  the  bluff  where  the  rail  was  gone. 

But  the  man  with  the  red  light  was  on  hand,  the  danger 
signal  waved  on  the  track  soon  caused  the  engineer  to  bring 
the  train  to  a  stop,  and  he  then  moved  slowly  along  until 
the  break  was  reached.  Here  the  frightened  passengers  first 
learned  the  terrible  danger  they  had  so  narrowly  escaped, 
and  also  found  a  group  of  men  guarding  two  desperate- 
looking  fellows  who  had  been  captured  in  the  act  of  remov- 
ing a  second  rail.  The  track  was  quickly  repaired  and  the 
train  proceeded  on  its  journey. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

THE  question  naturally  arises  :  Where  were  the  men 
who  had  been  stationed  to  watch  the  church  when 
Walker  and  Leitz  broke  into  it  ?  Why  did  they  prove  faith- 
less to  their  trust  ?  Well,  they  were  well-meaning  men,  and 
they  were  highly  anxious  to  save  their  church  and  to  catch 
its  would-be  destroyers ;  but,  alas  !  they  could  not  bear  the  dis- 
comfort of  getting  wet,  and  so  when  the  rain  came  and  the 
storm  blew  they  took  shelter  in  a  dry  place  at  the  rear  of 
the  building.  No  proper  comprehension  of  the  importance 
of  their  trust  seemed  to  have  occurred  to  them,  and  the 
first  intimation  they  had  of  the  presence  of  the  villains  was 
the  flames  inside  lighting  up  the  whole  building;  then 
knowing  that  there  was  a  keg  of  powder  in  the  middle  of 
that  flame,  they  stood  not  upon  the  order  of  their  going,  but 
scattered  like  a  flock  of  sheep.  Hence,  long  before  the 
explosion  took  place,  Walker  and  Leitz  were  safely  hidden 
away  in  their  beds,  and  no  one  had  seen  them  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  the  burning  building. 

The  explosion  and  the  glare  of  the  fire  aroused  the  whole 
town,  and  the  streets  were  soon  filled  with  an  excited  crowd. 
Webster  was  among  the  earliest  arrivals  on  the  scene,  and 
Lincoln  and  Brown  were  only  a  few  minutes  later.  Web- 
iter  sa\v  that  something  must  be  done  instantly,  so  he  hur- 


THE  DETECTIVES.  153 

ried  up  to  these  gentlemen  and  told  them  to  arrest  both 
Leitz  and  Walker  without  delay,  and  to  search  their  pre- 
mises thoroughly  to  find  their  wet  clothes.  It  was  evident 
that  nothing  could  be  done  to  save  the  church,  and  so 
Lincoln  went  to  Leitz's  house  and  Brown  to  Walker's. 
Both  the  men  were  found  in  bed  with  perfectly  dry  clothes 
close  at  hand ;  but  Walker's  long  locks  were  found  to  be 
very  damp,  and  a  careful  search  finally  revealed  the  wet 
clothing  of  each  of  them. 

Walker  showed  fight  when  the  party  entered  his  house, 
first  springing  to  a  drawer  to  get  a  revolver  and  then  a 
knife.  Fortunately  he  did  not  succeed,  and  after  being 
forced  to  dress  he  was  placed  in  irons  and  taken  to  the 
town  jail,  where  the  other  prisoners  were  also  placed.  A 
strict  guard  was  placed  over  them,  and  no  possible  means 
of  escape  was  permitted  to  them. 

The  examination  of  all  four  of  the  men  took  place  next 
day,  and  on  the  testimony  of  the  men  who  made  the  arrests 
they  were  all  held  to  await  the  action  of  the  grand  jury. 
Walker  and  Leitz  were  held  in  the  sum  of  $10,000  each, 
Morgan  $3,000,  and  Hays  $1,000,  in  default  of  which  they 
were  all  sent  to  the  county  jail.  The  grand  jury  met  soon 
afterward,  and  indictments  were  found  against  them  all. 

The  exciteme'nt  over  these  two  diabolical  attempts,  one 
of  which  had  so  fully  succeeded,  was  intense,  and  but  for  a 
strong  guard  around  the  jail  for  the  first  week  or  two  after 
their  arrest,  the  prisoners  might  have  experienced  the  atten- 
tions of  "Judge  Lynch,"  without  even  the  form  of  a  trial. 
At  length,  however,  the  first  flush  of  popular  fury  faded  out, 


154  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

and  people  contented  themselves  with  discussing  the  proba 
ble  result  of  the  various  trials.  It  was  generally  admitted 
that  Curran,  Warden,  Condon,  Wolff,  Mrs.  Vreeland,  Hays, 
and  Morgan  would  certainly  be  convicted  on  their  respec- 
tive indictments ;  but  there  was  not  the  same  certainty  in 
the  case  of  Walker  and  Leitz.  While  nearly  every  one  was 
convinced  of  their  guilt,  the  known  evidence  was  very  slight, 
and  it  was  greatly  feared  that  a  sharp  lawyer  like  'Squire 
Harvey  would  succeed  in  obtaining  their  acquittal.  Of 
course  the  presence  of  Hays  as  a  detective  was  not  sus- 
pected by  any  one. 

The  trial  of  Wolff,  Davis,  Mrs.  Vreeland,  and  the  eight 
men  charged  with  passing  counterfeit  money  took  place 
before  the  United  States  Court  in  Chicago  in  due  time,  and 
conviction  followed  as  a  matter  of  course,  without  Clark's 
testimony.  Wolff,  being  the  leader  and  organizer  of  the 
gang,  received  the  heaviest  sentence, — ten  years  in  the 
penitentiary.  Davis  was  given  five  years,  and  the  others  one 
year  each.  Clark  left  Mariola  just  before  the  trial,  promis- 
ing Mrs.  Black  to  return ;  but  it  was  not  convenient  for  him 
to  keep  his  promise,  and  she  was  soon  left  to  run  the  tavern 
alone,  as  Webster  strayed  away  one  day  and  never  re- 
turned. 

The  trial  of  Curran,  Cook,  Wallace,  Warden,  and  Condon 
took  place  next  in  the  adjoining  county,  the  three  first  named 
having  obtained  a  change  of  venue.  All  the  cases  were 
vigorously  defended  by  'Squire  Harvey,  but  it  was  impossi- 
ble to  obtain  the  acquittal  of  any  one  of  them,  in  the  face  of 
:he  evidence  given.  Cook  and  Wallace  each  received  three 


THE  DETECTIVES.  155 

years  in  the  penitentiary.  Curran  strove  hard  to  appear 
crazy,  but  the  jury  decided  that  there  was  too  much  method 
in  his  madness,  and  he  was  found  guilty  on  five  counts,  re- 
ceiving a  sentence  of  one  year  in  the  penitentiary  on  each 
count.  Warden  and  Condon  were  the  last  victims,  and 
their  guilt  was  also  conclusively  shown.  As  in  Wolff's  case, 
I  did  not  consider  it  necessary  to  call  Webster  ;  since  I  never 
put  my  detectives  in  the  witness-box  when  it  is  possible  to 
avoid  it.  Warden  was  sentenced  to  ten  years  and  Condon 
to  two  years  in  the  penitentiary. 

As  the  time  drew  near  for  the  trial  of  the  four  conspirators, 
Walker,  Leitz,  Hays,  and  Morgan,  the  excitement  began  to 
revive,  and  when  the  day  arrived  the  town  was  crowded, 
many  people  having  driven  twenty  miles  to  be  present. 
Walker  and  Leitz  were  in  good  spirits,  and  they  felt  so  confi- 
dent of  a  speedy  acquittal  that  no  motion  was  made  for  a 
change  of  venue  on  their  part,  while  Morgan  knew  there 
would  be  no  difference  in  the  result  wherever  he  was  tried, 
and  so  no  change  was  asked  by  him. 

The  first  case  was  that  of  Hays  and  Morgan,  and  they 
were  brought  in  heavily  ironed.  Before  any  pleas  were 
asked,  the  prosecuting  attorney  arose  and  stated  to  the 
Court  that  he  wished  to  enter  a  nolle  prosegui  in  the  case  of 
Hays,  who  was  a  detective  in  my  employ,  and  who  would 
be  the  principal  witness  for  the  prosecution.  He  presented 
the  affidavits  of  Messrs.  Brown  and  Lincoln  and  myself, 
showing  that  it  was  due  to  the  information  given  by  Hays 
that  the  plot  was  discovered  and  frustrated.  The  judge  at 
once  ordered  the  clerk  to  make  the  proper  entry  on  the 


106  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

records,  and  Hays  was  released.  Morgan,  seeing  that  there 
was  not  the  slightest  hope  to  escape,  pleaded  guilty  and  was 
remanded  for  sentence. 

When  Walker  and  Leitz  were  brought  in,  all  eyes  were 
turned  upon  them,  and  as  the  old  man  calmly  walked  into 
the  dock  he  bore  the  appearance  of  a  deeply  injured  man. 
When  he  had  taken  his  seat  'Squire  Harvey  leaned  over 
and  said  : 

"  Hays  has  turned  State's  evidence  and  he  will  be  the 
principal  witness  against  you." 

"I'm  not  afraid  of  that,"  replied  Walker  calmly;  "he 
won't  dare  to  testify «,gainst  me.  Why,  I  can  hang  him  for 
••jurder,  if  I  choose  to  tell  what  I  know  about  him.  He 
killed  a  man  and  set  fire  to  a  distillery  down  in  Cairo  last 

year." 

\ 

"  Well,  they  say  now  that  he  is  a  detective,"  said  'Squire 
Harvey,  "and  he  is  standing  over  yonder  with  Pinkerton 
now." 

"  Let  me  speak  to  him,"  said  Walker  with  a  marked 
change  of  manner  ;  "  can't  you  call  him  over  here  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  he  won't  come." 

"  Try  him  ;  I  must  speak  to  him.  I  can't  believe  that  he 
would  betray  me.  I  am  perfectly  calm  ;  there  is  no  danger 
that  I  will  disturb  the  Court." 

'Squire  Harvey  came  to  Hays  and  said  : 

"  The  old  man  wants  to  talk  to  you  for  a  few  mo- 
ments." 

"  He  cannot  go,"  I  replied  ;  "  I  cannot  let  my  man  talk  to 
a  prisoner  until  the  ca»e  has  been  tried." 


THE  DETECTIVES.  157 

'Squire  Harvey  conveyed  ray  answer  to  Walker,  and  the 
latter  looked  keenly  at  me  a  moment,  and  then  said  : 

"  Well,  ask  Pinkerton  to  come  himself." 

I  immediately  complied  with  his  request. 

"Are  you  Pinkerton,  the  detective?"  he  asked  as  I 
stepped  forward. 

"  Yes,"  I  replied. 

"  Is  Hays  one  of  your  men  ?  " 

"  He  is." 

"  What  do  you  know  about  him  ?  " 

"  I  know  that  he  is  honest,  truthful,  and  in  every  way 
reliable,"  I  answered. 

"  Do  you  know  that  he  killed  a  man  down  in  Cairo,  and 
that  I  can  have  him  convicted  of  arson  and  murder  ?  "  said 
Walker,  as  if  he  thought  his  revelation  would  astonish  me. 

"  No,  I  do  not  know  it ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  I  know 
just  where  he  has  been  for  two  years,  and  he  has  been 
constantly  in  my  employ.  I  told  him  to  invent  a  story 
to  gain  your  confidence,  and  he  told  you  about  an  imaginary 
murder,  to  make  you  think  he  was  a  criminal.  There  was 
no  truth  in  it  whatever." 

The  old  man  seemed  dazed  for  a  moment ;  and  Leitz,  who 
was  listening,  dropped  into  his  chair  without  a  word. 
Finally  old  Walker  said  : 

"  Well,  he  got  my  confidence,  and  now  I  shall  pay  the 
penalty  of  my  own  folly.  I  believe  you,  Mr.  Pinkerton.  I 
see  it  all  now,  and  I  have  nothing  more  to  say.  Leitz,  it  is 
useless  to  make  any  defence ;  that  man  knows  everything, 
and  he  is  a  Pinkerton  detective.  'Squire  Harvey,  1  will 


158  THE  MODEL    TOWN  AND 

not  "trouble  you  to  make  any  defence."     Then  rising  to  his 

• 
feet  he  calmly  addressed  the  Court.     "  May  it  please  your 

honor,  I  plead  guilty  as  charged  in  the  indictment.  I  can 
make  no  defence,  and  I  must  go  to  prison  in  my  old  age. 
When  the  doors  of  the  penitentiary  close  upon  me  the 
world  will  see  me  no  more.  Before  my  sentence  expires  I 
shall  be  carried  to  a  felon's  grave.  I  have  nothing  more  to 
say — I  plead  guilty." 

When  he  sat  down,  not  a  murmur  nor  sound  was  heard  in 
the  court-room.  Hardened  sinner  though  he  was,  his  calm 
and  dignified  manner  had  touched  the  feelings  of  every  one 
present,  and  there  were  many  who  felt  really  sorry  for  the 
old  reprobate  and  thought  he  might  not  be  so  very  bad  after 
all. 

Leitz  was  completely  broken  down,  and  he  allowed  a 
plea  of  guilty  to  be  entered,  without  appearing  to  care  what 
the  result  might  be.  Both  prisoners  were  then  remanded 
until  next  morning,  and  the  Court  adjourned.  As  the  throng 
moved  out  of  the  court-room  there  was  a  general  hum  of 
congratulation  that  this  trio  of  scoundrels  were  now  in  a 
fair  way  to  receive  their  just  punishment,  and  the  only 
regretful  expression  heard  was  that  they  had  not  been  pre- 
vented from  destroying  the  Methodist  church. 

I  received  a  great  many  thanks  and  good  words  for  my 
share  in  bringing  the  villains  to  justice,  and  Hays  was  also 
warmly  treated.  When  he  had  dressed  himself  in  a  neat 
business  suit,  people  wondered  that  they  had  ever  thought 
him  to  be  such  a  vicious-looking  fellow. 

The  following   day   the   prisoners  were  brought   up  fo« 


THE  DETECTIVES.  159 

sentence,  Morgan  receiving  five,  Leitz  twelve,  and  Walker 
eighteen  years  in   the   penitentiary.     They   were  soon  re 
moved  to  the  State's  Prison,  and  Mariola  was  left  compara 
lively  free  from  hard  characters.     So  effectual  had  been  the 
lesson,  that  for  several  years  no  serious  crimes  were  com- 
mitted in  the  vicinity,  the  rogues  being  impressed  with  the 
idea  that  it  was  full  of  detectives,  and  that  any  crime  would 
be  sure  to  bring  me  on  their  track.     It  thus  became  noted 
as  a  very  moral  locality,  and  was  frequently  spoken  of  in  no 
sarcastic  sense  as  "  The  Model  Town." 


THE  END. 


BYRON 

AS    A    DETECTIVE 


BYf^ON  AS  A  DETECTIVE 


CHAPTER  I. 

IN  the  year  1854  I  was  summoned  to  Washington  by  the 
Hon.  James  Gutlwie,  Postmaster-General,  who  in- 
formed me  that  he  required  my  services,  aiid  requested  that 
1  should  devote  my  whole  time  and  attention  to  the  busi- 
ness with  which  he  was  about  to  entrust  me.  He  said  that 
the  matter  would  require  skill,  patience,  and  perseverance, 
and  he  had  no  one  at  that  time  in  his  employ  who  knew 
much  of  a  detective's  duties.  He  had  plenty  of  politicians 
in  his  service  at  this  time,  but  he  could  not  rely  on  them ; 
and  said  that  he  wanted  the  services  of  just  such  a  man  as  I 
was  reported  to  be,  being  assured  that  I  would  keep  aloof 
from  politics  and  political  schemes,  and  devote  my  ener- 
gies to  the  development  of  matters  to  be  placed  in  my 
hands. 

I  thanked  him  for  his  kind  opinion  of  me,  feeling  flattered 
that  so  prominent  a  personage  should  have  heard  of  my 
humble  efforts  towards  reforming  society,  and  assured  him 
that  I  would  endeavor  to  merit  his  good  opinion  of  my- 
self. 

The  Postmaster-General  then  proceeded  to  give  me  the 


lG4  BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

facts  of  the  case  he  wished  me  to  undertake.  He  said  that 
for  some  time  back  the  mails  had  been  robbed  of  a  large 
amount  of  money.  The  stealing  was  principally  on  the 
line  of  the  Michigan  Southern  and  Northern  Indiana  Rail- 
road, and  lately  the  amount  abstracted  was  enormous ;  and 
in  reposing  confidence  in  my  ability  to  ferret,  out  the  matter 
he  would  request  me  to  let  no  one  know  anything  about  it 
but  himself  and  Mr.  Oakford,  his  chief  clerk,  trusting  that  I 
would  realize  all  or  more  than  he  had  heard  reported  about 
me.  I  might  rely  upon  the  cooperation  and  support  of  the 
Department  in  all  my  proceedings.  He  then  turned  me  over 
to  Mr.  Oakford,  and  as  soon  as  my  instructions  were  made 
out  I  left  Washington  and  returned  home  by  Toledo. 

Western  railroads  were  then  in  their  incipiency,  and 
projectors  often  encountered  serious  difficulties  from  the 
ignorance  and  prejudices  of  settlers  through  whose  lands 
the  roads  ran. 

The  "  right  of  way  "  for  these  great  public  enterprises  was 
then  -but  little  understood  or  respected  by  the  farmers,  who 
waxed  morose  and  indignant  because  the  arbitrators 
appointed  to  appraise  the  lands  required  for  railroad  pur- 
poses sometimes  put  them  at  a  figure  which  the  owners 
thought  too  low. 

A  good  deal  of  ill-feeling  was  thereby  engendered  against 
railroad  corporations,  and  the  frequency  of  the  obstructions 
placed  upon  many  of  the  lines  caused  suspicion  to  fall  upon 
these  dissatisfied  parties. 

There  were,  however,  other  theories  regarding  the  obstruc- 
tions ;  one  of  which  was  they  might  have  been  the  precou- 


BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE.  165 

certed  work  of  regularly  organized  robbers,  or  of  individuals 
who  had  no  connection  with  the  disaffected  settlers,  and 
whose  ulterior  object  was  the  plunder  of  the  mails. 

At  first  I  was  not  decided  which  of  these  theories  to 
accept  as  the  most  probable,  although  I  strongly  inclined 
to  the  last,  for  the  reason  that  there  were  great  temptations 
for  these  mail  robberies. 

The  express  system,  which  now  takes  in  the  whole  of  the 
United  States,  did  not  then  extend  further  west  than  Chicago ; 
and  the  consequence  was  that  all  the  money  sent  to  and 
from  points  West,  Northwest,  and  part  of  the  Southwest, 
embracing  Wisconsin,  Illinois,  Iowa,  Missouri,  and  a  por- 
tion of  the  Territories,  including  Minnesota,  was  carried  by 
mail.  These  were  facts  which  expert  thieves  would  be  very 
apt  to  take  advantage  of;  and,  reasoning  from  this  data 
alone,  I  concluded  that  the  robberies  in  question  were  the 
result  of  plans  which  were  devised  upon  the  spot  where 
they  occurred,  in  conjunction  with  intelligence  received 
from  confederates  in  the  East,  who  were  probably  con- 
nected with  the  Post-office  Department.  I  strongly  inclined 
to  this  view  of  the  case,  and  the  sequel  proved  that  I  was 
right. 

It  so  happened  that,  about  a  year  before  the  present 
investigation  took  place,  there  had  been  a  collision  between 
the  Michigan  Southern  and  Northern  Indiana  Railroad 
train  with  that  of  the  Michigan  Central,  about  nine  miles 
east  of  Chicago,  where  the  tracks  cross  nearly  at  right  angles, 
one  train  running  entirely  through  the  other,  killing  and 
wounding  a  great  number  of  persons.  The  mails  of  both 


166  BYRON  AS  A  DETECTIVE. 

the  collided  trains  were  found  to  be  robbed  after  the 
collision 

Here,  then,  was  a  case  where  there  could  have  been  no 
premeditation  by  thieves,  as  no  one  could  have  calculated 
that  the  trains  would  come  in  contact  afthat  time  and  place. 
The  presumption  therefore  was  that  the  robbery  was  perpe- 
trated by  transient  thieves,  who  were  upon  the  trains  when 
the  accident  occurred. 

I  was  on  the  ground  after  the  collision,  but  I  could  not 
determine  the  persons  who  committed  the  robbery  and  out- 
rage. They  were  not  suspected  at  the  time,  and  made  their 
escape  without  discovery  ;  but  whilst  I  was  proceeding  with 
my  investigation  on  the  Michigan  Southern  Railroad,  under 
the  sanction  of  the  Government,  I  discovered  that  two 
young  men,  Scotchmen,  had  been  passengers  on  that  train  ; 
and  that  when  they  arrived  in  the  United  States  they  had 
considerable  money  in  their  possession,  which  they  squan- 
dered in  the  West,  and  were  returning  East,  en  route  for 
Scotland,  when  this  accident  took  place. 

They  were  both  young  men  of  good  address  and  pleasing 
manners.  One  called  himself  Augustus  Stuart  Byron,  and 
claimed  to  be  a  natural  son  of  Lord  Byron  the  poet;  and 
the  other  represented  himself  to  be  the  nephew  of  Admiral 
Napier,  at  that  time  commander  of  the  Baltic  British  Naval 
Squadron.  Taking  advantage  of  the  confusion  and  terror 
of  the  passengers  who  were  aiding  the  railway  officials  to 
remove  the  dead  from  the  ruins,  these  young  men  conceived 
the  idea  of  robbing  the  mail,  which  they  accomplished  and 
tscaped  to  Europe  with  their  booty, 


BYRON  AS  A  DETECTIVE.  1G< 

The  amount  stolen  was  about  fourteen  thousand  dollars  ; 
but  in  this,  as  in  all  similar  cases,  where  money  comes  easily 
it  was  spent  lavishly,  and  finding  themselves  reduced  to  the 
last  two  or  three  hundred  dollars  they  resolved  to  return 
to  the  scene  of  their  former  success. 

None  of  these  facts  were  known  when  I  began  this 
investigation,  nor  was  I  then  aware  of  the  existence  of  these 
young  men. 

Had  I  known  these  facts  at  the  time,  much  trouble, 
suspicion,  and  anxiety  would  have  been  obviated.  They  were 
merely  remembered  as  old  visitors,  and  were  favorites  with 
their  associates,  but  not  a  breath  of  suspicion  had  ever 
rested  upon  them. 

They  are  here  introduced  at  this  early  stage  of  the 
narrative  because  they  strike  the  key-note  to  the  whole  his- 
tory we  are  about  to  narrate. 

I  had  to  conduct  my  inquiries  with  the  greatest  circum- 
spection, whilst  I  spread  out  my  tentacula  in  all  directions, 
hoping  and  believing  that  sooner  or  later  I  would  solve  the 
mystery. 

To  facilitate  operations  I  took  lodgings  at  Adrian,  Mich- 
igan, the  head-quarters  of  the  chief  officers  of  the  railroad 
company,  to  whom  it  was  necessary  I  should  now  make 
myself  known,  in  order  to  secure  their  cooperation. 

The  General  Superintendent,  Joseph  H.  Moore,  Esq., 
well  known  as  a  man  of  high  character  and  ability,  was  the 
first  person  to  whom  I  introduced  myself  and  exhibited 
my  credentials. 

He  was  fully  alive  to  the  importance  of  the  mission  I  had 


168  BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

undertaken,  and  manifested  every  disposition  to  give  me 
all  the  aid  in  his  power.  He  introduced  rm  to  Mr.  Baker, 
counsel  of  the  company  at  Adrian,  and  Mr.  Emmons,  now 
Judge  of  United  States  Court  in  Detroit,  the  acting  counsel 
for  the  company,  who  also  expressed  themselves  pleased 
that  my  services  were  secured  on  behalf  of  the  Government ; 
but  remarked  that  they  had  already  employed  a  detective  to 
act  for  the  railway  company,  who  represented  that  he  had 
been  approached  by  certain  members  of  a  gang  of  theives, 
the  real  obstructionists,  who  desired  him  to  join  their 
organization. 

My  suspicions  were  aroused  on  hearing  this  extraordinary 
proposition,  which  seemed  to  me  like  a  very  stale  expe- 
dient to  extort  money,  and  perhaps  hiding  a  much  deeper 
design  ;  but  I  kept  my  surmises  to  myself. 

Mr.  Moore  handed  me  a  letter  for  my  perusal  which 
the  so-called  detective  had  written,  offering  his  services  to 
the  company,  and  which  read  as  follows  : 

"ADRIAN,  March  27,  1854. 

"  Jos.  H.  MOORE,  ESQ. — Sir  :  I  have  for  the  past  few 
days  written  five  or  six  notes  to  send  you,  but  as  often  I 
have  changed  my  mind  and  concluded  to  let  the  informa- 
tion that  I  wished  to  convey  to  you  lie  buried  in  ob- 
scurity. 

"  lint  the  late  act  of  villainy  that  was  committed,  I  may 
say,  within  sight  of  our  city,  forces  me  to  disclose  to  you 

information  that  I  received  a  few  days  since  of  the  forma- 

• 
tion  of  a  gang  of  rascals  who  have  combined  together  to 


BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE.  10«J 

commit,  I  may  say,  wholesale  murder  and  other  criminal 
acts  by  obstructing  the  passage  of  trains  and  endangering 
the  same  on  the  M.  S.  &  N.  I.  R.  R.  This  gang  of  villains 
are  under  the  management  of  two  men  who  are  known  to 
me.  The  subject  came  to  my  knowledge  by  an  offer  from 
those  men  of  a  large  sum  of  money,  providing  I  would  take 
part  with  them  in  their  intended  villainy. 

"  This  I  refused,  and  scornfully  rejected  their  proposals,  or 
to  have  anything  to  do  with  them.  I  further  threatened  to 
expose  them  should  they  attempt  at  any  time  to  carry  their 
intentions  into  effect,  whereupon  one  of  them  said  if  I 
should  ever  disclose  to  any  one  their  intentions  it  would  be 
certain  death  to  me.  I  cannot  in  this  note  explain  to  you 
the  information  that  I  wish  to  convey  in  full,  but  should 
you  answer  this  note  by  dropping  a  line  in  the  post-office 
to  me,  I  will,  if  you  wish,  disclose  to  you  the  names  of  the 
parties  ;  in  fact,  I  will  give  you  all  the  information  that  E 
have  of  the  parties  and  their  intended  plot,  on  condition 
that  you  will  give  a  liberal  reward.  I  would  be  able  to 
point  them  out  or  describe  them,  that  they  might  be 
arrested.  I  am  satisfied  that  one  of  them  has  in  his  trunk 
documents  that  could  disclose  the  whole  matter. 

"  I  hope  you  will  keep  this  subject  dark,  as  I  am  exposing 
myself  to  great  danger  by  disclosing  this  to  you,  and  would 
also  expose  the  interest  of  the  road  by  disclosing  this  sub- 
ject to  the  public;  yes,  such  would  make  the  road  a  terror 
to  all. 

"As  I  cannot  write  to  any  satisfaction,  should  you  wish 
to  know*  furtner  about  the  matter,  let  me  know,'  and  I  will 


170  BYRON  AS  A  DETECTIVE. 

go  to  your  office  any  evening  that  may  be  convenient  to 
you. 

"  For  the  present  I  remain,  yours  and  others, 

"A.  STUART." 

This  letter  did  not  by  any  means  allay  my  suspicions. 
The  author  seemed  to  know  too  much  of  the  doings  of  the 
obstructionists,  and  to  be  too  wide  awake  to  his  own 
interests  for  an  honest  man.  Were  it  otherwise,  and  he  in 
possession  of  such  information  as  he  claimed  to  be  able  to 
give,  he  would  not  probably  have  asked  the  company  for  a 
reward. 

I,  however,  said  nothing  of  this  to  the  Directors,  but 
simply  inquired  if  they  knew  anything  about  the  present 
occupation  and  associates  of  Stuart,  or  of  his  antecedents. 

They  informed  me  that  he  occasionally  added  M.D.  to 
his  signature,  and  sometimes  signed  himself  as  Augustus 
Stuart  Byron  ;  that  he  claimed,  as  before  stated,  to  be  the 
natural  son  of  Lord  Byron,  and  was  at  present  engaged  as  a 
compositor  on  the  Michigan  Expositor,  and  was  a  person 
of  irregular  habits,  given  to  night  wanderings,  etc. 

This  was  precisely  the  kind  of  man  I  had  pictured  in  my 
own  mind,  and  as  it  was  of  importance  for  me  to  know 
something  of  his  antecedents,  I  sent  a  detective  to  get  in 
with  him,  who  learned  the  following,  although  I  am  not 
certain  of  its  truth. 

He  pretended  to  be  a  natural  son  of  Lord  Byron,  and  in 
childhood  to  have  been  thus  recognized  by  the  gallant 
Lord ;  that  his  mother,  whose  maiden  name  wd"s  Mary 


BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE.    ^  171 

Stuart,  afterward  married  a  man  named  McDonald  ;  was 
born  in  Edinburgh,  May  24th,  1817;  entered  the  British 
service  as  assistant  surgeon  in  Woolwich  Naval  Hospital 
in  1835  ;  came  to  Quebec  in  1836  ;  returned  to  England  in 
1840,  and  from  thence  went  to  China,  and  in  1841  came  to 
his  country, — his  mother  then  residing  east  of  Kingston, 
Upper  Canada.  In  1844  he  went  to  Holland  ;  returned 
to  Montreal  in  1845,  and  during  this  year  his  mother  died. 
After  the  commencement  of  our  war  with  Mexico,  he  was 
in  New  Orleans,  and  joined  the  army  that  went  to  the' City 
of  Mexico  as  First  Lieutenant  of  Dragoons,  under  Captain 
Drew,  St.  Louis.  In  1848  he  came  back  to  Canada,  and  in 
1850  returned  to  London  from  Montreal  with  goods  for  the 
World's  Fair.  Subsequently  visited  Glasgow  and  Edin- 
burgh, and  in  1852  returned  to  New  York,  thence  to  Buffalo 
and  to  Detroit,  where  he  worked  in  the  Free  Press  office, 
having  somewhere  picked  up  a  knowledge  of  printing. 

He  afterwards  viiited  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  Memphis,  and 
New  Orleans,  thence  back  to  Milwaukee  with  the  body  of 
a  man  who  had  died  in  New  Orleans  ;  stayed  awhile  in 
Chicago,  and  again  visited  New  Orleans. 

In  August,  1853,  he  returned  to  St.  Louis,  and  afterwards 
was  employed  on  the  Fort  Wayne  Railroad.  In  January, 
1854,  he  strayed  back  to  Detroit  and  other  places  in  that 
vicinity. 

I  had  thus  gathered  all  the  facts  regarding  the  detec- 
tii-e  who  was  so  anxious  to  sell  his  information  to  the 
railway  company,  and  I  determined  that  henceforth  I 
would  be  the  secret  invisible  shadow  of  this  man,  and  never 


172  »    BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

leave  him  until  I" had  satisfied  myself  of  the  justice  of  my 
suspicions  concerning  him. 

The  disclosures  above  mentioned  confirmed  me  in  my 
previous  belief  that  the  late  obstructions  on  the  Michigan 
Southern  and  Northern  Indiana  Railroads  had  not  been 
placed  there  by  the  farm  ;rs,  but  either  by  a  gang  of  thieves 
living  in  the  immediate  neighborhood,  or  by  some  one  or 
more  persons  well  acquainted  with  the  localities  and  having 
an  accomplice  in  the  Post-office  Department  in  the  East. 

By  a  strange  coincidence,  and  in  a  quarter  where  I  least 
expected  to  receive  intelligence  upon  the  subject,  I  discov- 
ered a  clue  *  a  the  robbery,  and  determined  to  follow  it  up. 


CHAPTER  II. 

AS  soon  as  my  conference  with  the  railroad  officials 
was  over,  I  strolled  down  the  railroad  track  and 
carefully  examined  the  different  places  where  the  late  so- 
called  accidents  had  occurred,  in  the  forlorn  hope  of 
making  discoveries  which  would  assist  my  investigations. 
I  conversed  with  the  engineers  and  firemen  who  had  been 
on  the  ill-fated  trains,  and  ascertained  from  them  that  the 
character  of  the  obstructions  varied  from  time  to  time. 
Now  a  switch  had  been  reversed  and  the  train  run  into  a 
gravel  pit.  Then  one  end  of  an  iron  "T"  rail  had  been 
placed  under  the  tie  so  that  the  other  end  was  struck  by  the 
engine.  At  one  time  the  spikes  had  been  drawn  out  of  the 
rails,  and  these  so  moved  as  to  form  a  switch  on  which  the 
whole  train  was  whirled  off.  At  another  time  a  rail  had 
been  altogether  removed,  and  in  this  manner  the  pro- 
gramme of  destruction  had  been  changed  so  that  the  en- 
gineers were  at  a  loss  what  to  be  on  the  look-out  for  as  a 
warning  of  danger. 

There  were,  however,  two  coincident  facts  connected  with 
the  cases.  The  first  was  that  no  attempt  had  ever  been 
made  to  obstruct  any  other  than  the  night  train  g^ing  west- 
ward and  carrying  the  heavy  through  mails  ;  and  the  second 
was,  that  jn  no  instance  had  more  than  the  foot-prints  of  two 


174  BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

persons  been  discovered  when  the  trains  had  been  thrown 
from  the  tracks. 

These  two  insignificant  facts  strongly  impressed  my  mind 
and  started  me  on  the  trail  of  fresh  suspicions,  every  one  of 
which  pointed  toward  Byron,  or  Stuart,  as  he  now  called 
himself. 

I  now  felt  sure  this  man  was  implicated  in  the  transactions. 
Slowly  and  obscurely  there  began  to  appear  to  my  mind  the 
skeleton  of  a  device  by  means  of  which  I  might  perchance 
bring  this  man's  crime  home  to  him.  1  had  heard,  and  in  two 
instances  seen  with  my  own  eyes,  that  about  the  scene  of 
the  railroad  catastrophe  there  was  always  one  foot-print  more 
prominent  than  the  other,  and  this  was  very  clearly  made 
by  a  boot  not  manufactured  in  the  West,  the  soles  being  well 
covered  with  round-headed  nails  in  double  rows  along  the  top 
and  down  the  sides  and  heels,  whilst  in  the  centre  the  same 
description  of  nails  were  arranged  in  the  diagram  of  a  heart. 
It  was,  in  fact,  an  English  boot,  no  workmanship  of  that 
kind  being  turned  out  of  the  shops  in  this  country  at  that  time. 

Here,  then,  was  an  important  clue  to  the  mystery,  indicat- 
ing that  the  owner  of  the  boots  was  a  foreigner.  Again 
the  image  of  Stuart  arose  in  my  mind,  and  I  had  a  strong 
desire  to  see  the  man  who  so  boldly  pushed  himself  forward 
in  his  special  business.  Although  at  present  the  evidenci 
against  him  did  not  amount  to  much,  still  I  felt  certain  I  was 
on  the  right  track. 

Shortly  afterwards  I  returned  to  Adrian  and  had  another 
interview  with  the  officers  of  the  company.  1  this  time  met 
Mr.  Sinclair,  the  company's  train  agent,  a  very  discreet  and 


BYRON  AS  A  DETECTIVE.  175 

intelligent  man.  I  arranged  with  him  and  Mr.  Moore  that 
my  operations  should  be  kept  a  profound  secret  from  their 
detective,  and  that  an  order  should  be  privately  issued  to  all 
the  conductors,  engineers,  and  employees,  that  if  another 
accident  occurred  they  should  proceed  at  once  to  the  point 
and  thoroughly  examine  the  foot-marks  before  they  could  be 
obliterated  by  the  passengers  of  the  train,  who  would  natur- 
ally rush  to  the  spot  out  of  curiosity  to  see  what  had  brought 
about  the  calamity.  I  also  suggested  that  the  locality  should 
be  carefully  guarded  until  one  of  the  officials  could  arrive 
upon  the  ground  and  make  a  personal  inspection.  I  did  not 
tell  them  what  my  motive  was,  nor  was  it  necessary.  They 
were  now  very  anxious  that  I  should  see  their  detective  ;  and 
happening  later  in  the  day  to  be  in  the  office  of  Mr.  Baker, 
the  solicitor  of  the  company,  I  also  urged  the  same  thing, 
they  being  desirous  of  hearing  my  opinion  of  him.  An  in- 
terview was  arranged  at  Baker's  office.  I  appeared  at 
the  appointed  hour,  and  shortly  afterwards  Byron  entered 
the  front  gate,  giving  me  barely  time  to  step  into  an  ad 
joining  room,  before  he  entered  the  office  and  seated  him- 
self with  his  back  to  the  door,  which  enabled  me  to  hold  it 
slightly  ajar  and  hear  all  that  was  said. 

Byron  at  once  opened  the  conversation  by  remarking 
that  two  men  named  Dean  and  Napier  would  place  an 
obstruction  upon  the  track  that  night,  but  he  was  not  positive 
as  to  the  exact  spot  where  it  was  to  be  done,  and  he  asked 
Baker's  advice  as  to  whether  he  should  accompany  them  or 
not.  He  expressed  great  indignation  against  the  men,  in 
terms  indicative  of  an  educated  man ;  but  it  seemed  to  me 


17G  BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

* 

that   he  was  more  anxious  to  elicit  than  to  communicate 

information. 

The  interview  concluded  by  Baker  telling  him  he  must 
consult  Mr.  Moore,  the  superintendent,  before  he  could 
answer  his  question  as  to  whether  he  should  accompany  the 
men  when  they  proceeded  to  obstruct  the  track. 

Directly  after  this,  Byron  left,  followed  by  me.  who  made 
a  detour  around  a  block  and  met  him  upon  the  sidewalk ; 
and  as  he  had  not  before  seen  me,  it  gave  me  a  good  oppor- 
tunity to  take  the  measure  of  this  man,  who  was  about  five 
feet  eight  inches  in  height,  probably  about  thirty-three  or 
four  years  of  age,  rather  stout,  and  with  dark  hair  which 
hung  in  profusion  over  his  shoulders,  large  projecting  black 
eyes,  nose  slightly  retrouse,  and  his  complexion  tanned  to 
nearly  an  olive  color.  I  also  noticed  that  his  eyes  had  a 
keen  restless,  penetrating  appearance  ;  that  his  posture  was 
firm,  but  that  he  walked  with  a  slight  stoop  of  the  shoulders. 

Byron  paid  no  special  attention  to  me,  as  my  dress  and 
appearance  we're  similar  to  those  of  the  people  of  the  town. 

When  the  scrutiny  was  completed,  I  returned  to  Baker's 
office,  where,  in  consultation  with  the  general  superintend- 
ent, it  was  decided  that  Byron,  instead  of  accompanying  the 
men  who  were  to  obstruct  the  track,  should  be  directed  to 
follow  them  and  watch  their  movements,  while  at  the  same 
time  I  resolved  to  shadow  him  all  through.  I  did  not  make 
this  known  to  the  officials,  who  as  yet  placed  implicit  confi- 
dence in  their  detective. 

Accordingly,  as  the  evening  approached,  I  went  out  in 
search  of  Byron  with  the  intention  of  following  him  until 


BYRON  AS  A    DETECTIVE.  177 

he  should  meet  the  conspirators,  and  soon  discovered  him 
walking  slowly  through  the  streets',  occasionally  stopping  at 
a  store,  as  if  to  consume  the  time  until  the  hour  for  the 
arrival  of  the  doomed  train. 

About  nine  o'clock  he  left  the  village  in  a  westerly  direc- 
tion, which  made  it  difficult  for  me  to  follow  him,  as  the  night 
was  very  dark.  I  was,  however,  by  the  peculiar  squeaking 
of  the  man's  boots,  enabled  to  follow  him  until  he  crossed  the 
railroad  track,  where  he  was  met  by  somebody  with  whom 
he  commenced  talking  in  a  low  but  earnest  tone  of  voice. 
I  crawled  along  under  the  fence  as  near  them  as  possible, 

but  could  not  distinguish  what  they  were  saying. 
i 

Soon  after  the  voices  were  hushed,  and  I  heard  their  feet 
strike  the  iron  rails  as  they  crossed  the  road.  After  this  [ 
heard  nothing  more,  although  I  continued  listening  atten- 
tively for  some  time  for  a  sound  that  would  indicate  their 
whereabouts,  but  in  vain. 

During  this  time  my  feelings  were  wrought  up  to  the  high- 
est pitch  of  anxiety  and  apprehension.  The  train  was  due 
at  Adrian  in  a  short  time,  and  unless  something  was  done  at 
once  to  avert  it  a  terrible  catastrophe  was  inevitable.  I  was 
certain  that  the  conspirators  either  had  already  or  would 
soon  place  an  obstruction  upon  the  track  that  would  hurl  a 
large  number  cf  people  to  destruction  and  death.  What  was 
I  to  do  ?  If  I  left  my  hiding-place  to  follow  them,  the  train 
might  pass  me  on  the  road,  and  I  could  give  no  warning  to 
the  engineer,  as  he  hurried  on  to"  his  doom. 

The  town  of  Adrian  was  not  far  off,  and  if  I  went  rapidly 
on  the  rail  line  I  might  arrive  at  the  station  in  time  to  give 


178  BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

the  alarm.     In  an  instant  I  was  over  the  fence  and  on  the 

• 

track,  and  running  towards  the  light  of  Adrian  station.  Al- 
most breathless  I  arrived,  and  sprang  over  the  platform  tc 
the  office,  where  Mr.  Moore  was  in  waiting ;  told  him  what  I 
had  discovered,  and  advised  him  to  start  a  hand  car  down 
the  line  as  quickly  as  possible  to  remove  the  obstruction, 
carrying  with  them  the  proper  signal  lights  and  torpedos. 
The  car  was  promptly  dispatched,  and  I  returned  to  my  hid- 
ing-place behind  the  fence.  Happily  for  the  passengers  and 
the  company,  the  obstruction  was  quickly  discovered.  It 
was  a  tie  that  had  been  placed  on  the  track  about  a  mile 
west  of  the  place  where  I  had  been  concealed,  but  of  this  I 
was  not  aware  at  the  time. 

After  waiting  in  my  lair  about  twenty  minutes,  I  saw  a 

» 

man  cross  the  railroad  and  go  towards  the  town,  whom  1 
took  to  be  Byron,  and  immediately  followed  him.  After  walk- 
ing a  short  distance,  the  man  hesitated,  as  if  in  doubt  which 
way  he  should  go.  He  was  then  directly  opposite  the  city 
cemetery,  a  beautifully  sheltered  and  retired  spot,  laid  out 
with  walks  and  shrubs  and  decorated  with  flower-beds. 

"  Beneath  those  rugged  elms,  that  yew-tree's  shade, 

Where  heaves  the  turf  in  many  a  mouldering    heap, 
Each  in  his  narrow  cell  forever  laid, 

The  rude  forefathers  of  the  hamlet  sleep." 

But  what  Byron  had  to  do  with  sacred  enclosures  I  was 
at  a  loss  to  conjecture,  and  could  scarcely  believe  my  eyes 
\vli<:n  1  saw  him  suddenly  turn  aside  from  the  main  road  and 
climb  over  the  churchyard  fence.  I  have  often  since  im 


3 
OQ 

a. 
o 


o 

> 


BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE.  179 

agined  that  Byron  might  have  inherited  from  his  father  the 
morbid  feeling  which  then  induced  him  to  go  to  the  city  of 
the  dead  for  sympathy  and  relief.  It  seemed  to  me  a  strong 
evidence  of  his  being  the  son  of  the  moody  poet. 

It  was  this  saturnine  propensity  that  animated  Manfred 
and  Cain,  as  well  as  others,  desperate  lovers,  in  Byron's  mor- 
bid love  stories.  Besides,  all  know  what  ghastly  companion- 
ship he  sought  at  Newstead  Abbey  in  his  drinking  bouts ; 
how  he  made  a  wine-cup  out  of  an  old  monk's  skull ;  what  a 
mania  he  at  times  evinced  for  solitude,  and  how  fond  he 
was  when  at  Harrow  of  reading  in  the  old  graveyard  as  he 
lay  outstretched  upon  the  marble  lid  of  a  sarcophagus. 

The  young  man  wandered  about  among  the  silent  graves 
for  some  time  without  any  apparent  aim,  and  finally  seated 
himself  upon  a  tombstone.  He  remained  in  apparently 
deep  meditation  until  he  heard  the  train — which  was  fifteen 
minutes  late — leave  Adrian.  He  started  up  as  he  heard 
the  shrill  whistle  of  the  locomotive  piW^e  the  air,  with  his 
eyes  directed  towards  the  cars,  as  they  tore  over  the  road 
after  the  ponderous  engine,  and  in  an  instant  passed  them 
with  a  mighty  blast  and  vanished  into  the  darkness.  Byron 
followed  it  with  his  eyes  starting  from  their  sockets  ;  every 
moment  expecting  to  hear  a  tremendous  crash.  Still  the 
train  rolled  onwards,  and  there  was  nothing  as  yet  to  indi- 
cate that  any  accident  had  happened.  The  feelings  of  both 
the  men  were  at  that  moment  wrought  up  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  excitement  and  anxiety,  as  the  train  with  its  freight 
of  living  souls  was  hurrying  on  to' what  might  be  certain  de- 
struction ;  and  here,  in  the  presence  of  the  dead,  and  in  close 


180  BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

proximity  to  each  other,  were  the  criminal  who  perpetrated 
the  diabolical  deed  and  the  detective  lying  in  wait  to  bring 
him  to  justice. 

To  the  latter  it  was  an  unspeakable  relief  the  moment 
he  felt  that  the  train  was  out  of  danger,  and  from  that  moment 
he  was  sure  of  his  victim.  He  had  crawled  under  a  tomb- 
stone, where  he  could  plainly  see  Byron,  but  was  completely 
concealed  himself.  Byron  remained  standing  for  some 
time  upon  a  gravestone,  apparently  waiting  for  the  smash. 
It  seemed  to  me  a  very  long  time,  and  although  persuaded 
that  the  train  was  safe,  I  still  kept  listening  for  the  antici- 
pated disaster. 

When  he  had  satisfied  myself  that  there  would  be  no 
tragedy  that  night,  Byron  came  down  from  his  platform,  and, 
winding  his  way  slowly  among  the  graves,  passed  so  near  (he 
spot  where  I  lay  concealed,  that  I  could  have  touched  him 
with  my  hand  ;  but  I  remained  quiet  until  he  passed,  then  fol- 
lowed him  to  the  t<^hi,  where  he  entered  a  saloon  and  took 
a  drink  of  whiskey,  still  deeply  absorbed  in  his  own  thoughts 
and  replying  morosely  to  those  who  ventured  to  converse 
with  him.  After  repeating  his  drink  he  left  the  place  and 
slowly  walked  to  his  hotel. 


CHAPTER  III. 

ON  the  following  day  he  reported  to  Mr.  Baker  that  ac- 
cording to  instructions  he  had  declined  accompanying 
the  obstructionists,  but  had  followed  them  until  they  turned 
upon  him  with  curses  and  imprecations  and  drove  him  back. 
He  however  made  no  mention  of  his  visit  to  the  graveyard, 
nor  did  I  then  enlighten  them  upon  that  matter  :  my  plans 
were  not  then  sufficiently  matured  to  permit  my  doing  so. 

Thus  matters  went  on  for  some  time.  I  was  chiefly  occu- 
pied keeping  track  of  Byron,  in  intercourse  with  railroad 
officers,  and  in  trips  to  various  points  along  the  line  of  road, 
one  of  which  I  had  extended  to  Chicago ;  and,  while  there,  I 
was  startled  by  the  receipt  of  a  telegram  from  Mr.  Baker 
informing  me  that  a  train  had  been  thrown  off  the  track 
about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  east  of  Adrian  by  a  "T" 
rail  having  been  placed  across  the  track,  and  that  the  loco- 
motive and  several  cars  were  destroyed  and  the  engineer 
killed. 

I  hurried  off  to  Adrian  by  the  next  train,  where  I  met 
Mr.  Sinclair,  who  had  carried  out  his  instructions  to  the  letter, 
and  showed  marked  sagacity  and  intelligence  throughout 
the  entire  conduct  of  the  affair. 

The  distance  between  Adrian  and  the  place  of  the  acci 


182  BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

dent  was  so  short,  that  Mr.  Sinclair,  who  was  on  duty  al.  the 
time,  heard  the  shrill  whistle  of  the  locomotive  which  the 
unfortunate  engineer  gave  for  the  brakeman  to  put  on  the 
brakes ;  too  late,  however,  to  avert  the  danger,  for  the  next 
moment  the  poor  fellow  was  in  eternity,  the  ponderous  loco- 
motive having  fallen  upon  him.  He  found  that  the  train  had 
stopped  immediately  after  the  whistle.  Sinclair  instantly 
ordered  out  a  hand-car,  and  rushed  to  the  spot  where  the 
train  lay  in  a  promiscuous  ruin.  He  immediately  stationed 
the  employees  around  the  place  where  the  obsructions  were 
laid,  with  instructions  to  allow  no  one  to  disturb  the  ground 
until  daylight,  when  he  could  examine  it  carefully.  This  he 
did  and  discovered  the  same  old  boot-tracks  with  the  marks 
of  round  nails,  -with  the  identical  heart  upon  the  soles, 
which  I  discovered  on  the  spot  where  the  last  accident  oc- 
curred. 

The  tell-tale  earth  being  particularly  soft  on  this  occasion 
related  the  whole  story  as  plainly  as  if  it  had  been  revealed 
in  letter-press.  Heavy  "T"  rail  had  been  thrown  across 
the  track  by  a  single  person,  and  the  marks  of  the  boots  told 
how  that  person  had  contrived  to  place  it.  Thus,  he  had 
lifted  up  one  end  until  it  was  fairly  in  place,  and  in  doing 
tliis  his  heels  sank  deep  in  the  soft  soil.  He  had  then  raised 
the  other  end  in  the  same  manner,  and  with  a  like  result. 
Furthermore,  the  foot-prints  showed  how  many  times  the  man 
had  passed  from  side  to  side  before  the  work  was  com- 
pleted. 

It  was  the  story  of  a  great  crime  told  in  picture  symbols; 
upon  the  earth's  surface. 


BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE.  183 

This,  in  my  mind,  settled  the  question  as  to  the  guilty 
party.  It  was  true  that  the  mails  had  not  been  robbed,  but 
it  was  also  true  that  no  opportunity  was  afforded  for  this 
exploit,  the  train  having  been  too  well  watched  and  guarded 
through  the  forethought  of  Mr.  Sinclair,  who  was  perfectly 
satisfied  that  the  farmers  had  no  hand  in  the  obstruction  ; 
that  it  was  not  the  work  of  organized  robbers,  but  of  one  in- 
dividual, and  that  individual  was  doubtless  the  owner  of  the 
boots. 

The  inquiry  was  thus  reduced  to  a  very  narrow  com- 
pass, the  only  question  remaining  to  be  solved  being  the 
ownership  of  the  boots. 

On  the  day  of  my  arrival  in  Adrian  to  investigate  this  last 
sad  catastrophe,  Byron  called  upon  Mr.  Baker,  and  informed 
him  that  he  had  reason  for  believing  that  Napier  had  perpe- 
trated the  deed  ;  that  as  he  had  been  unsuccessful  in  getting 
at  the  mails,  and  fearing  pursuit,  he  had  started  to  New  York, 
where  Napier  and  Dean  had  a  friend  engaged  in  that  Depart- 
ment of  the  Post-office  where  the  mails  were  made  up  for 
the  West,  and  that  this  position  enabled  him  to  advise  them 
when  large  money  packages  were  sent  through  to  the  West  ; 
that  he  was  undoubtedly  in  the  habit  of  doing  this,  and  when 
heavy  amounts  were  about  to  be  transmitted  he  could  tele- 
graph them,  sending  his  messages  to  Toledo,  this  giving 
them  twenty-four  hours'  notice,  which  enabled  them  to  cal- 
culate with  accuracy  at  what  time  the  packages  would  reach 
the  Michigan  Sou'hern  and  Northern  Indiana  road,  and  be 
due  at  Adrian. 

This  statement  looked  plausible,  and  in  fact  I  believed  it. 


184  BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

Byron  further  stated  that  he  should  write  to  Napier  in  New 
York  under  the  assumed  name  of  Crawford.  Whereupon  I 
resolved  to  secure  that  letter  when  it  reached  its  destina- 
tion and  have  the  person  who  called  for  it  secured  and  kept 
under  surveillance.  This  was  easy  for  me  to  do,  on  account 
of  my  position  as  special  agent  of  the  Post-office  Depart- 
ment. 

I  accordingly  wrote  to  James  Holbrook,  Esq.,  then  the 
able  special  agent  of  the  Post-office  Department  in  New 
York,  and  afterwards  author  of  Ten  Years  Among  the  Mail 
Bags,  telling  him  what  I  wanted  done  in  case  such  a  letter 
should  reach  that  office,  which  it  did  in  due  course  of  time, 
and  Mr.  Holbrook  arranged  everything  very  skilfully  to 
meet  my  wishes.  The  letter  was  not  called  for,  however, 
but  it  disappeared  out  of  the  post-office  and  no  one  could 
tell  how  or  by  what  agency.  There  was  no  clerk  by  name 
of  MacDonald  iif  the  New  York  Post  office,  but  there  was 
a  young  Scotchman  there  whom  Mr.  Holbrook  suspected 
to  be  the  incognito,  as  he  was  employed  in  putting  up  mails 
for  the  West ;  but  he  had  no  access  to  the  delivery  depart- 
ment in  that  office,  and  the  delivery  clerks  declared  that  he 
had  not  been  near  that  department  during  the  whole  time 
the  letter  lay  there. 

Whilst  this  examination  was  progressing  in  New  York 
1  continued  my  investigations  at  Adrian,  examining  the 
foot-tracks  in  the  town,  and  also  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  railroad,  hoping  to  find  the  person  who  wore  those 
peculiar  boots ;  and  at  the  same  time  I  kept  track  of 
Bvron, 


BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE.  185 

Many  were  the  anxious  hours  and  days  I  spent  walking 
the  streets  and  railroads  in  search  of  the  tracks. 

While  on  one  of  these  tours  of  inspection  I  was  over- 
taken by  a  violent  thunderstorm,  which  forced  me  to  retreat 
to  my  hotel. 

As  soon  as  the  storm  subsided,  I  hurried  to  Baker's 
office,  keeping  my  eyes  intently  fixed  on  the  ground  the 
whole  way.  Suddenly  I  stopped  as  if  petrified,  directly 
before  me  was  the  identical  impression  I  was  in  search  of. 
There  were  the  double  rows  of  round-headed  nails  in  the 
sole^  and  heels,  and  there  too  the  identical  heart  in  the 
centre.  Long  and  earnestly  had  I  looked  for  this  revelation 
by  night  and  by  day,  and  such  vast  interests  were  involved 
that  I  well  might  be  excused  for  becoming  faint  and  giddy. 
This  passing  weakness  lasted  but  a  moment  however,  and 
the  next  I  was  myself  again  ;  all  the  old  activities  of  mind 
and  body  returned  to  me  with  fresh  energy. 

I  had  struck  a  "hot"  trail  at  last.  I  was  near  Baker's 
garden  gate  when  the 'foot-prints  attracted  my  attention, 
and  here  they  stopped. 

It  was  evident  the  man  who  made  them  had  walked 
towards  the  gate  and  probably  gone  to  the  office.  I  opened 
the  gate.  The  path  had  been  newly  strewn  with  a  fine 
sandy  gravel  which  would  have  taken  the  impress  of  a  dime, 
and  there  were  the  suspicious  footsteps  leading  in  a  direct 
line  up  to  the  very  door.  They  corresponded  exactly  with 
the  diagram  made  on  the  morning  of  the  last  catastrophe. 
Every  nail  was  distinctly  visible,  with  the  vacant  spaces 
between  them. 


1«J  BYRON  AS  A  DETECTIVE. 

As  it  was  yet  daylight,  I  did  not  stop  to  examine  them 
very  closely,  lest  I  might  attract  attention.  I  saw  enough 
however,  to  convince  me  that  the  footsteps  were  the  same  I 
had  seen  before,  and  I  now  felt  sure  of  my  victim. 

I  found  Baker  in  his  office,  and  was  informed  that  Byron 
had  just  been  there  with  intelligence  that  his  correspondent 
Napier  had  received  his  letter  in  New  York,  and  that  he 
had  replied  cautioning  him  not  to  send  any  more  communi- 
cations, as  the  last  one  had.  been  watched.  This  news  per- 
plexed me  not  a  little  at  the  time,  and  I  asked  Mr.  Baker 
if  he  noticed  what  kind  of  boots  Byron  wore  whefl  he 
called. 

He  said  he  usually  wore  fine  boots,  but  he  remarked  that 
on  this  occasion  he  had  on  a  pair  of  heavy  coarse  boots, 
with  his  pantaloons  inside  the  legs. 

I  then  told  him  what  I  had  discovered,  and  on  whom 
my  suspicion  rested,  at  which  Mr.  Baker  was  greatly 
astonished. 

We  then  went  out  into  the  garden,  creeping  cautiously 
between  the  bushes  and  examining  carefully  the  foot-prints, 
which  corresponded  exactly  with  the  diagram,  which  con- 
vinced Baker  that  I  was  on  the  right  track,  and  that  Byron 
had  been  vid  ently  playing  the  double  character  of  villain 
and  detective. 

That  evening  I  found  Byron,  and  followed  him  around 
for  some  time.  He  still  wore  the  same  coarse  boots.  The 
sidewalks  were  wet  and  soft,  so  that  the  impression  would 
not  lie,  as  fox-hunters  say,  of  the  scent  on  a  frosty  morning. 

He  was  evidently  unsettled  and  nervous,  and  drank  freely 


BYRON  AS  A   DETECJ^IVE.  187 

of  whiskey  at  the  various  saloons  where  lie  called.  He 
wandered  up  and  down  the  streets  in  an  aimless  way  and 
I  was  growing  weary  of  following  him,  when  suddenly,  as  if 
struck  by  some  powerful  impulse,  he  turned  on  the  street 
which  led  to  the  graveyard,  and  once  more  betook  himself 
to  that  sacred  enclosure. 

What  induced  him  to  carry  there  the  burden  of  his  crime 
I  could  not  imagine,  unless  he  acted  in  obedience  to  the 
theory  before  alluded  to.  It  will  be  remembered  that  when 
Lord  Byron  found  himself  tormented  by  evil  moods,  he 
generally  rushed  into  dark  and  dismal  scenes.  He  found 
no  relief  in  society  for  his  sufferings,  but  banished  himself 
from  his  native  land  from  a  morbid  love  of  notoriety,  and 
haunted  wild  scenery  and  lonely  ruins  because  these 
accorded  with  his  gloomy  thoughts  and  imaginings.  That 
this  wild  waif  who  had  drifted  into  the  West,  far  away  from 
his  birth-place,  and  might  have  ended  his  life  as  a  good 
citizen  instead  of  a  thief  and  a  murderer ;  that  this  son  of 
the  noble  poet  inherited  the  worst  part  of  his  father's  nature 
and  his  morbid  temperament,  is  evident  from  his  conduct 
all  through  the  investigation  and  especially  in  his  love  for 
that  graveyard. 

No  ordinary  criminal  would  have  sought  the  companion- 
ship of  the  dead  in  his  moments  of  gloom  and  despondency  ; 
he  would  rather  have  rushed  into  scenes  of  dissipation  and 
riot,  and  have  sought  to  deaden  the  pangs  of  his  con- 
science. 

I  followed  him  a  second  time  to  the  graveyard.  He 
seemed  very  much  excited,  and  this  may  have  been  his 


188  BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

usual  place  of  resort  on  the  special  occasions  of  his  evil 
possession. 

On  this  occasion  he  walked  to  the  centre  of  the  holy 
ground,  and  once  more  sat  down  on  the  same  tombstone 
he  had  previously  occupied.  His  mind  was  terribly  disturbed 
and  he  talked  aloud  to  the  raging  of  the  winds.  What  he 
said  I  could  not  distinctly  hear,  as  I  was  afraid  of  advancing 
too  near  him.  It  was  evident,  however,  that  superstition,  sc 
far  as  the  dead  was  concerned,  gave  him  no  apprehension. 
My  belief  was  and  is,  that  he  retired  to  that  lonely  spot  to 
relieve  his  mind  of  the  great  burden  which  oppressed  it,  as 
luigene  Aram  did  in  the  relation  of  his  own  story,  accord- 
ing to  Thomas  Hood's  poem,  to  those  innocent,  happy 
school-boys  on  the  village  green. 

It  was  a  wild  night  of  wind,  rain  and  darkness,  but  every 
now  and  then  the  moon  appeared  for  an  instant,  and  re- 
vealed the  dark  figure  of  the  guilty  man  as  he  raved  among 
the  tombs. 

1  was  hidden  under  a  gravestone  where  I  crawled  for 
shelter  while  listening  to  Byron's  declaiming,  and  became 
almost  chilled  with  rain. 

At  the  end  of  half  an  hour,  Byron  rose  and  stalked  wildly 
over  the  graves  towards  the  railroad  track,  going  east, 
passing  through  the  depot  grounds,  and  continuing  an  east- 
erly course  until  he  came  to  the  spot  where  the  train  was 
wrecked  and  the  engineer  killed.  Here  he  stood  in  gloomy 
meditation,  muttering  to  himself,  and  occasionally  speaking 
aloud.  If  at  this  moment  I  had  walked  boldly  up  to  him 
'jiiough  the  darkness,  arrested  him,  and  accused  him  of  his 


BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE.  189 

crime,  I  would  in  all  probability  have  brought  him  at  once 
to  confession  ;  but  I  hesitated,  I  thought  I  had  not  yet  suffi- 
cient legal  evidence  against  him  to  convict  him. 

Byron  then  left  the  spot,  and  went  across  a  field  to  the 
highway  which  led  to  Adrian,  where,  as  usual,  the  first  thing 
he  did  was  to  take  a  drink. 

At  daybreak  next  morning  I  was  up  and  retraced  the 
whole  of  the  ground  over  which  Byron  had  led  me  the 
night  before,  and  examined  the  foot-prints  at  every  place 
where  he  had  stopped.  They  were  everywhere  clear 
enough  to  trace  him  from  the  grave  down  the  railway 
track,  over  the  depot  ground,  and  at  the  place  of  the  train 
wreck.  I  then  followed  them,  with  more  or  less  distinctness, 
across  the  field  and  on  the  road  until  I  reached  Adrian. 

After  breakfast  I  called  on  Mr.  Baker  and  related  to  him 
my  new  adventures  and  discoveries.  Baker  was  perfectly 
satisfied,  but  thought  it  would  be  safest  to  wait  for  further 
evidence  before  arresting  the  man. 

They  then  agreed  to  wait  for  the  next  stormy  night ;  and, 
as  soon  as  the  rain  came,  Baker  was  to  provide  himself 
with  sufficent  new  soil,  mixed  with  sand,  to  cover  the  walk 
from  the  wicket  gate  in  front  to  the  office  door.  Sinclair 
and  others  were  to  be  summoned  as  witnesses,  taking 
good  care  that  they  did  not  tread  on  the  gravel  walk. 

Then  Byron  was  to  be  sent  for,  and  the  probability  was 
/hat,  owing  to  the  mud  and  wet,  he  would  wear  the  same 
boots  which  had  made  the  foot-prints  previously  referred 
to  ;  if  so,  there  would  be  abundant  witnesses  of  the  fact,  and 
there  need  be  no  more  delay  in  arresting  the  criminal. 


190  BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

As  the  weather  was  now  unsettled,  they  had  not  long  to 
wait  for  another  storm,  which  indeed  came  on  the  follow- . 
ing  day.  The  pathway  was  prepared,  Messrs.  Sinclair  and 
Moore  were  called  in,  and  Byron  sent  for.  The  two  men 
and  I  remained  in  the  adjoining  room  while  Mr.  Baker 
talked  with  Byron,  and  as  the  interview  was  a  mere  pre- 
tence, it  was  also  made  a  very  short  one. 

When  Byron  left,  they  all  felt  that  his  doom  was  sealed. 
I  had  felt  and  known  it  long  before,  but  I  postponed  action 
to  oblige  these  gentlemen  who  had  been  so  invariably  cour- 
teous to  him. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  whole  party  immediately  went  out  and  examined 
the  foot-marks,  comparing  them  as  before  with  the  dia- 
gram, and  all  agreed  that  they  were  identical.  Still,  as  the 
case  then  stood,  I  had  not  such  satisfactory  and  conclusive 
evidence  against  him*  as  would  convince  a  jury.  It  was 
absolute  enough  as  far  as  it  went,  but  I  felt  that  1  must 
have  more  and  stronger  proof  before  I  could  be  sure  of  a 
verdict,  as  the  law  stood.  Although  capital  punishment  was 
abolished  in  Michigan,  Byron  would,  if  convicted,  be  im- 
mured within  four  stone  walls  for  the  term  of  his  natural 
life.  It  was  a  fearful  punishment,  infinitely  more  to  be 
feared  than  death,  which  is  only  a  momentary  pang,  and 
more  dreadful  in  thought  than  in  reality.  But  to  a  sensitive 
mind  the  perpetual  confinement — with  no  break,  no  relief 
to  it,  no  visitation  of  friendly  faces,  neither  books  nor 
writing  materials  allowed,  and  no  occupation  of  any  sort ; 
the  criminal  doomed  never  more  to  see  the  face  of  his 
fellow-man  ;  his  very  bread  and  water  thrust  to  him  through  a 
hole  in  the  wall,  with  no  accompanying  voice  even  to  curse 
him — is  a  punishment  than  which  the  human  intellect,  with 
all  its  resources,  can  invent  none  more  dreadful.  Time  to  a 
man  in  this  condition  has  no  longer  any  relation  to  thought 
or  feeling.  It  cannot  be  marked  or  measured  ;  it  swells  it? 


192  BYRON  AS  A  DETECTIVE. 

moments  into  eternities.  From  meal  to  meal  is  a  period  of 
immeasurable  duration.  The  mind,  so  fertile  in  presence 
of  objects,  living  or  dead,  now  in  the  absence  of  both  sinks 
at  last  into  hopeless  idiocy. 

Then  by  night  and  by  da}-,  which  arc  all  one  recordless 
vacancy  to  this  dreadful  sufferer,  the  four  black  pitiless 
walls  of  his  narrow  cell-  resound  with  the  cries,  yells,  and 
ravings  of  madness.  Still  no  one  takes  compassion  on 
him,  no  one  comes  to  him  ;  he  raves  himself  to  sleep,  and 
dreams  perchance  of  green  fields  and  babbling  brooks,  and 
the  bright  sunshine  and  the  song  of  4airds, — dreams  that  he 
is  free  and  happy  with  those  whom  he  loves,  and  wakes  to 
retrace  only  the  empty  cell,  the  bare  walls,  and  the  iron 
bars  which  admit  the  air  of  heaven  to  visit  him,  and 
occasionally  a  gleam,  perhaps,  of  sunshine.  Then  his 
mind  sinks  into  despair  ;  then  reaction  follows,  and  once 
more  the  walls  resound  with  his  yells,  oaths,  and  blas- 
phemies, until  he  dies  blaspheming  his  Maker.  This  was 
the  fate  in  reserve  for  Byron  in  case  he  was  convicted  ;  and 
a  jury,  knowing  this,  would  naturally  and  rightly  demand 
ample  evidence,  which  I  was  equally  anxious  to  furnish  ;  but 
there  was  only  one  way  of  procuring  this,  so  far  as  1  could 
sec,  and  that  was  by  inducing  or  compelling  him  to  confess, 
and  this  I  determined  to  venture  upon. 

Byron  was  frequently  in  the  habit  of  going  to  Chicago, 
and  I  thought  it  would  be  safest  to  await  one  of  these  trips  ; 
accordingly  I  arranged  with  the  Sheriff  of  Chicago  to  place 
Byron  in  arrest  in  a  cell  by  himself,  or  with  a  person  of  my 
selection.  For  this  purpose  I  visited  an  officer  named 


BYRON  AS  A  DETECTIVE.  193 

Black,  in  an  adjoining  county,  in  whom  I  had  the  greatest 
confidence,  explained  to  him  my  desire  that  he  should  come 
to  Chicago  and  await  Byron's  arrival  there,  when,  imme- 
diately prior  to  the  arrest,  he  was  to  be  locked  up  in  the  cell 
\vhich  was  reserved  for  Byron.  He  was  to  assume  the  name 
of  Grover,  and  to  pretend  that  he  had  been  arrested  by  me 
for  a  heavy  express  robbery,  but  that  there  was  not  sufficient 
evidence  against  him  to  convict  him,  and  therefore  he  would 
soon  have  to  be  discharged. 

The  object  in  securing  Black's  services  was  that  he  might 
induce  Byron  to  confess  his  crime,  as  criminals  locked  up 
together  in  the  same  cell  frequently  do,  as  a  relief  to  their 
perturbance. 

As  soon  as  I  had  arranged  this  business  to  my  satisfaction, 
I  returned  to  Adrian,  where  I  ascertained  that  Byron  was 
anxious  to  go  to  New  York,  to  communicate  with  his  friends 
the  obstructionists.  I  informed  Mr.  Baker  that  I  heard  of 
Dean  in  Chicago,  and  that  it  would  aid  my  plans  if  he  would 
send  Byron  to  Chicago  to  obtain  an  interview  with  him. 
This  Byron  readily  consented  to. 

On  the  following  day  I  had  the  satisfaction,  while  standing 
on  the  steps  of  his  Hotel,  to  see  Byron's  trunk,  with  the 
identical  boots  strapped  on  the  outside,  put  on  the  omnibus, 
while  Byron  took  an  inside  seat  and  I  mounted  the  box 
with  the  driver.  Arriving  at  the  depot  Byron  checked  his 
trunk  and  the  train  started.  I  was  well  known  to  all  the 
employees  on  the  train,  and  having  the  right  to  enter  the 
baggage  car  by  virtue  of  my  office,  I  took  advantage  of  the 
stoppage  of  the  train  at  White  Pigeon,  where  twenty  min- 
9 


194  BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

utes  were  allowed  for  dinner,  and  after  I  had  seen  Byron 
enter  the  dining-room,  unstrapped  the  boots,  and  carried 
them  off  to  the  passenger  car,  where  I  stowed  them  away 
under  my  seat. 

On  arriving  at  Chicago,  Byron  had  his  trunk  sent  to  the 
Garden  City  House,  where  he  first  discovered  the  absence 
of  his  boots,  and  immediately  began  to  curse  the  thief  that 
took  them,  and  next  day  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Moore  complain- 
ing of  his  loss  and  claiming  damages. 

It  was  now  midsummer,  and  the  time  having  come  for 
action,  I  had  Grover  locked  up  in  the  cell,  having  taken  the 
precaution  to  make  a  handsome  douceur  to  the  jailor  and  his 
attaches  to  keep  the  secret. 

Shortly  after  this  I  met  Byron  on  Clark  street,  directly 
opposite  the  jail.  There  was  scarcely  a  human  being  in 
sight,  so  intense  was  the  heat  at  the  time.  I  walked  up,  col- 
lared him,  and  telling  him  who  he  was,  informed  him  that  he 
was  a  prisoner. 

Byron  was  greatly  astonished ;  without  a  word  went  with 
me,  and  in  three  minutes  from  his  arrest  was  safely  locked 
up  with  Grover,  who  pretended  to  be  unable  to  give  him 
any  information  as  to  the  cause  of  his  arrest.  The  turnkey 
could  give  him  no  information,  except  that  he  had  been 
arrested  by  me,  special  agent  of  the  Post-office  Depart- 
ment. Matters 'remained  in  this  state  until  about  the  third 
day,  Byron  being  exceedingly  reticent  in  respect  to  his  com- 
panion, evidently  regarding  him  as  a  vulgar  person  far 
beneath  his  notice.  He  then  asked  to  see  me,  and  inquired 
why  he  was  arrested  ;  when  told,  he  of  course  stoutly  denied 


3 
crq 


BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE.  195 

the  charge.  I  then  fairly  and  honestly  detailed  to  him  all  the 
evidence  I  had  against  him,  reserving  the  abstraction  of  the 
boots  to  come  in  hereafter  as  an  episode,  when  it  would 
best  serve  my  purpose.  He  still  maintained  that  he  was 
innocent.  Thus  matters  stood  for  about  five  weeks,  varied 
by  occasional  interviews  between  me  and  the  prisoner,  and 
then  I  was  no  nearer  my  aim  than  on  the  day  of  the 
arrest. 

Byron  continued  to  treat  Grover  with  the  same  reserve 
he  had  manifested  at  the  first ;  he  would  talk  to  him,  how- 
ever, now  and  then,  on  casual  subjects,  but  very  seldom 
about  his  own  arrest,  and  when  he  did,  he  invariably  as- 
serted his  innocence. 

All  this  time  Grover  was  doing  his  best  to  pass  for  a 
very  astute  burglar  who  could  not  be  held  much  longer 
in  durance,  for  want  of  sufficient  evidence  to  convict  him. 
He  expected  to  get  out  every  day,  when  he  would  certainly 
make  some  rich  citizen  suffer  for  the  wrong  that  had  been 
done  him  by  his  imprisonment.  And  he  continued  to  insin- 
uate that  he  was  a  man  of  great  daring,  resources,  and  des- 
peration, and  that  anything  which  he  had  set  his  mind  upon 
he  was  certain  to  accomplish ;  nobody  could  escape  him, 
and  he  was  equal  to  any  emergency. 

About  this  time  Mr.  Moore  came  to  Chicago  at  the  ear- 
nest request  of  Byron.  Called  on  me  first  of  all,  and  was 
advised  by  me  to  tell  Byron  that  I  said  there  could  be  no 
doubt  of  his  guilt,  as  I  had  a  diagram  made  of  the  locali- 
ties where  the  train  was  thrown  off  the  track,  and  the  foot- 
prints discovered  on  the  ground  ;  that  these  corresponded  in 


196  BYRON  AS  A  DETECTIVE. 

every  particular  with  the  boots  which  Byron  had  been  in  the 
habit  of  wearing,  and  with  which  he  made  the  tracks  in 
Baker's  garden.  I  further  desired  him  to  say  that  I  had 
good  reason  to  believe  that  the  boots  which" Byron  had  lost 
and  which  he  claimed  compensation  for  were  now  in  my 
possession.  This  Mr.  Moore  did  very  faithfully  during  the 
interview  which  he  had  with  Byron.  At  first  he  was  struck 
dumb  by  the  appalling  array  of  evidence  against  him, 
especially  that  which  the  boots  afforded.  He  quickly  rallied 
however,  and  said  the  boots  he  had  lost  were  not  those  I 
had  found, — that  they  were  coarse  ones,  while  his  boots 
were  made  of  fine  calf-skin.  Mr.  Moore  assured  him  that 
I  was  firm  in  the  belief  of  convicting  him.  At  Byron's 
request,  Mr.  Moore  had  another  interview  with  me,  and 
again  called  to  see  the  prisoner  in  his  cell,  and  told 
him  that  he  could  do  nothing  for  him,  and  that  I,  acting 
under  the  orders  of  the  Government,  had  power  transmitted 
to  me. 

Byron  was  much  excited  on  hearing  this,  and  the  moment 
Mr.  Moore  left  him  he  turned  upon  Grover,  whom  he  sup- 
posed was  about  to  be  liberated  in  a  day  or  two,  and  said  : 

"  Grover,  you  say  you  are  a  great  man,  and  that  whatever 
you  take  in  hand  is  sure  to  succeed.  You  are  going  to  be 
set  at  liberty  in  a  few  days,  will  you  serve  me  ?  " 

Mr.  Grover,  who  had  been  waiting  for  six  or  seven  weeks 
to  hear  these  words,  and  had  begun  to  think  that  all  his 
efforts  were  useless,  answered  that  he  would  be  delighted  to 
do  any  thing  he  could  for  him. 

"  I  am  in  great  distress,"  said  Byron. 


BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE.  197 

"  Yes,  I  perceive  you  are,"  said  the  other  dryly ;  "  what 
is  the  matter  ?  " 

"  Matter  enough,"  was  the  rejoinder ;  "  I  want  you  to  help 
me." 

"  I  am  willing,"  said-Grover;  "but  how  can  I  help  you 
if  you  are  innocent  ?  " 

"  But,"  said  Byron,  "  what  if  I  am  not  innocent  ?  We 
all  get  on  the  wrong  track  sometimes,  and  are  only  sorry 
for  it  when  we  are  thrown  off.  Here  am  I  in  a  dungeon 
for  a  crime  not  proven.  Will  you  help  me  out  ?  " 

Grover  replied  with  apparent  warmth  that  he  would  be 
out  in  a  few  days,  and  that  if  Byron  could  show  him  how  to 
serve  him,  he  would  move  heaven  and  earth  to  do  so. 

"  Then  you're  my  man,"  exclaimed  the  delighted  Byron, 
"  and  I  will  make  a  clean  breast  of  it  to  you." 

This  he  did  with  a  precision  and  accuracy  as  to  facts 
which  were  surprising.  He  drew  out  a  chart  of  the  whole 
neighborhood,  marking  the  railroad  depot,  and  then  the  vari- 
ous points  east  and  west  of  it  where  the  trains  were  wrecked. 
He  seemed  familiar  with  every  object  around  the  site  where 
the  last  obstruction  had  been  placed.  Here  was  the  track. 
Here  was  the  "T"  rail  which  he  had  lifted,  end  after  end, 
until  he  accomplished  his  purpose.  Here  the  locomotive 
first  struck,  and  here  the  engineer  was  killed,  his  body  in 
such  and  such  a  position,  and  partly  covered  by  the  engine. 
Then  he  described  the  road  by  which  he  had  returned  to 
Adrian  after  he  had  laid  his  traps. 

The  boots  were  his  greatest  trouble.  All  would  be  well 
without  theui ;  but  if  I  had  them,  all  was  up  with  him  unless 


198  BYRON  AS  A  DETECTIVE. 

he  could  prove  an  alibi,  or  contrive  to  get  the  boots  on 
another  man's  legs  for  that  night.  Now  he  wanted  Grover 
to  swear  that  he  had  been  in  Adrian  for  several  days  before 
the  accident  happened  ;  that  he  had  become  acquainted  with 
a  man  at  the  hotel  who  invited  him,  on  the  night  in  question, 
to  go  with  him  for  the  purpose  of  stealing  or  burglary ;  that 
the  man  had  returned  with  him  early  in  the  evening  to  his 
room,  and  that  he  shortly  afterwards  stepped  out  into  the 
hall,  and  on  his  return  brought  with  him  a  pair  of  boots, 
which  he  carried  in  his  hands;  that  he  (Grover)  examined 
them  and  knew  they  were  Byron's  ;  that  he  accompanied  this 
man  to  the  railroad  and  saw  him  put  the  rail  on  the  track. 
He  then  asked  Grover  if  he  would  do  this  service  for  him. 
Grover  replied  that  he  might  be  induced  to  do  this,  and  in- 
quired : 

"  What  am  I  to  make  by  running  this  risk  for  you  ?  " 

"Oh!"  said  he,  "you  only  swear  to  that  and  get  me 
clear,  and  when  I  am  once  at  liberty  I  will  do  the  handsome 
tiling  by  you.  I  am  in  the  confidence  of  the  railway  people, 
and  shall  keep  it  up  if  I  get  clear.  Then  I  will  introduce 
you  to  some  good  fellows  who  do  nothing  but  jobs  of  this 
character,  and  can  put  you  in  a  position  where  you  can  help 
yourself." 

The  terms  were  agreed  upon  ;  and  Byron,  to  impress  more 
strongly  upon  the  mind  of  Grover  what  he  wanted  him  to 
swear  on  the  trial,  made  a  memorandum  of  it  and  handed  it 
to  his  friend,  with  an  injunction  to  be  very  careful  not  to  let 
it  go  out  of  his  hands. 

Grover  was  released  the  next  day,  after  bidding  Byron 


BYRON  AS  A  DETECTIVE.  198 

a  very  affectionate  adieu ;  at  the  same  time  he  pondered 
over  the  remarkable  fact  that  the  son  of  a  man  who  had  set 
the  whole  world  ablaze  with  his  genius  should  be  immured 
in  Chicago  jail  on  a  charge  of  destroying  trains  and  killing 
engineers. 

It  must  be  acknowledged  that  Grover  played  his  part 
remarkably  well.  It  certainly  was  no  joke  to  spend  so  many 
hot  days  in  a  prison  heated  like  an  oven,  whilst  the  cholera 
was  raging  throughout  the  city. 

This  was  a  part  of  the  duty  of  a  detective's  life,  however, 
and  he  had  to  endure  it. 

Byron  was  very  much  elated  at  the  prospect.  He  now  felt 
certain  of  Grover' s  aid,  and  that  he  would  be  able  to  regain 
the  confidence  of  the  railroad  officials. 


CHAPTER    V. 

ABOUT  the  2nd  of  August,  Byron-  wrote  to  Mr.  Baker 
requesting  him  to  use  his  influence  to  have  him  tried 
at  Adrian  instead  of  Chicago,  informing  that  gentleman  that 
although  he  understood  he  had  been  threatened  by  the  rail- 
way employees  with  lynch  law  in  case  they  caught  him,  he 
had  no  fear  of  them,  being  innocent,  and  that  he  would  be 
able  to  clear  himself  of  all  suspicion,  besides  prove  to  the 
railroad  officials  and  all  concerned  that  he  was  their  true 
friend,  and  had  been  so  throughout  these  calamitous  events. 
He  assured  him  he  was  most  anxious  for  a  speedy  trial,  rely- 
ing of  course  upon  Grover  to  prove  an  alibi. 

Baker  at  once  communicated  the  contents  of  the  letter  to 
me,  who  was  also  desirous  to  have  the  trial  take  place  at 
Adrian  without  having  recourse  to  the  slow  process  of  ob- 
taining a  requisition  from  the  Governor  of  Michigan  to  the 
Governor  of  Illinois  to  effect  this  object,  which  would  have 
been  necessary  had  I  determined  on  removing  the  prisoner. 
I  therefore  very  cordially  agreed  to  Byron's  proposal,  and 
he  was  removed  to  Adrian  jail,  where  the  Attorney-General 
of  the  State,  who  was  well  versed  in  the  practice  of  criminal 
law,  was  retained  for  the  defence. 

We  must  now  leave  Byron  for  a  while  to  his  own  private 
meditations  and  go  back  a  little  in  this  history. 


BVRON  AS  A  DETECTIVE.  201 

After  Byron  had  been  lodged  as  a  prisoner  in  Chicago 
jail,  it  became  necessary  for  me  to  go  to  New  York  and  en- 
deavor to  hunt  up  Napier,  who  had  been  Byron's  coadjutor 
in  crime  from  the  commencement.  It  was  evident  to  me 
that  there  was  some  employee  in  the  New  York  Post-office 
who  was  also  connected  with  them,  and  who  from  time  to 
time  gave  them  information  when  they  might  expect  a  train 
which  it  would  be  worth  while  to  attack;  and  it  was  reason- 
able to  suppose  that,  whoever  this  person  was,  he  would  be 
veryJikely  to  know  Napier's  whereabouts. 

As  I  was  known  in  New  York  Post-office,  I  found  no  diffi- 
culty in  making  the  necessary  investigations.  I  ascertained 
that  there  was  a  young  Scotchman  there  who  bore  in  his 
whole  aspect  the  marks  of  a  dissipated  life. .  This  man  I 
caused  to  be  watched,  and  was  not  long  in  learning  that  he 
frequented  a  fashionable  saloon  in  Hudson  street,  ^.  favorite 
resort  both  for  Scotchmen  and  Englishmen.  I  went  there  im- 
mediately, and  being  a  Scotchman  myself,  was  not  long  in 
making  the  acquaintance  of  a  good  many  of  my  countrymen 
who  were  habitues  of  the  place.  The  house  was  frequented 
by  respectable  merchants,  clerks,  tradesmen,  and  others ; 
and  among  my  new  acquaintances  was  a  harness-maker  who 
had  a  shop  near,  where  he  was  doing  good  business,  and 
bore  an  excellent  character.  I  found  out  that  this  man 
knew  Napier,  and  he  spoke  in  terms  of  the  highest  praise  of 
him,  but  said  he  had  not  seen  him  for  some  time,  nor  could 
he  tell  where  he  boarded  or  lodged. 

He  had  formerly  visited  the  saloon  every  day,  but  lately 
he  had  missed  him,  and  was  afraid  he  was  sick.  The  frank 
9* 


202  BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

and  credulous  harness-maker  was  evidently  proud  of  know- 
ing the  nephew  of  an  English  admiral,  and  intimated  that 
he  was  on  the  best  terms  with  him. 

To  account  for  my  seeming  interest  in  Napier,  I  told 
him,  I  had  met  him  some  years  ago  in  the  old  country  and 
would  like  to  see  him  again  ;  although  it  was  very  likely,  if  I 
were  to  meet  him,  I  should  not  at  first  recognize  him. 

The  harness-maker  seemed  delighted,  and  offered  to  make 
inquiries  for  him,  and  I  learned  through  him,  that  Napier 
was  living  in  a  respectable  boarding-house  on  MacDougal 
street.  Upon  calling  there,  I  found  that  the  landlady  was  not 
only  from  Scotland  but  from  my  own  native  town.  She 
knew  nothing  of  Napier,  however,  as  he  left  her  house  about 
a  week  previous  and  had  gone,  as  she  surmised,  to  Europe. 
He  had  certainly  received  money  from  England  to  enable 
him  to  do  so,  and  had  paid  his  board  bill  up  to  the  time  of 
leaving.  This  accounted  for  my  detention  in  New  York, 
and  was  a  capital  one  for  me.  So,  after  thanking  the  lady  for 
her  courtesy,  I  parted  with  her  on  the  best  of  terms,  and  set 
off  at  once  to  visit  the  various  steam-ship  offices,  where  I 
examined  the  passenger  register  of  the  ships  that  had 
lately  sailed  for  England. 

At  the  Cunard  line  office  I  met  the  purser  of  the  steam- 
ship "  Britannia,"  who  told  me  that  he  was  on  board  the 
'  Asia  "  the  day  before  she  sailed,  then  about  ten  days  pre- 
vious, and  that  he  saw  there  a  young  man  whom  he  recog- 
nized as  Napier  from  the  fact  that  he  came  out  about  a  twelve- 
month previous  on  the  "Britannia."  Being  quite  confident 
in  his  own  mind  that  he  was  the  same  man,  the  purser 


BYRON  AS  A  DETECTIVE.  203 

accosted  him,  when  Napier  told  him  he  was  mistaken ;  and 
denied  that  he  was  ever  aboard  the  "  Britannia."  The  pur- 
ser was  completely  nonplussed  at  this,  but  was  still  more 
astonished  when,  standing  by  the  gangway  just  previous  to  the 
sailing  of  the  "  Asia,"  he  saw  Napier,  who  had  already  paid 
his  passage  money,  go  ashore  carrying  a  heavy  satchel  in  his 
hand.  The  purser  further  remarked  that  he  remained 
there  until  the  "  Asia"  left,  and  that  he  was  certain  Napier 
was  not  aboard. 

Satisfied  upon  this  point,  I  visitea  the  various  other 
steamboat  offices  from  which  vessels  had  sailed  for  Europe 
since  the  departure  of  the  "Asia,"  and  searched  the  passen- 
ger lists,  but  in  vain,  and  concluded  that  he  had  taken  his 
passage  under  an  assumed  name.  If  so,  this  would  account 
for  his  leaving  the  "  Asia  "  when  he  saw  he  was  recognized  by 
the  purser  of  the  "  Britannia."  Requesting  the  purser  to  ke-ep 
a  good  look-out  for  him,  and  promising  to  call  upon  him  the 
next  day  before  he  sailed,  I  next  went  to  the  offices  of  the 
sailing  vessels.  This  investigation  continued  for  three  days. 
Meanwhile  I  had  again  called  upon  the  purser,  but,  as  I 
anticipated,  Napier  had  not  appeared.  On  calling  however 
at  the  office  of  Tapscott  sailing  vessels,  he  found  that  a  ship 
named  the  Martha  Washington  had  sailed  a  day  after  the 
departure  of  the  "  Asia,"  and  that  Napier  had  left  on  her  ; 
for  to  his  utter  astonishment  he  beheld  his  name  recorded  in 
full  upon  the  books  of  the  company.  This  was  soon  explained 
by  one  of  the  clerks,  in  reply  to  some  questions  asked 
him  in  respect  to  the  missing  man,  who  said  that  one  of  the 
captains  of  Tapscott's  vessels  had  recognized  the  man  when 


204  BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

he  entered  the  office,  and  accosted  him  by  name.  This  was 
after  he  had  paid  his  passage  money,  but  prior  to  his  secur- 
ing his  berth  and  recording  his  name. 

The  opportunity  for  securing  this  wily  rogue  was  now 
ended,  and  nothing  remained  for  me  but  to  return  to 
Chicago  and  look  after  Byron. 

As  the  time  for  the  sitting  of  the  Lewanee  Circuit  Court  at 
Adrian  approached,  I  went  there  and  had  an  interview 
with  Mr.  Hart,  special  agent  of  the  Post-office  Department, 
and  consulted  with  him  as  to  the  chances  of  bringing  on 
Byron's  trial  at  the  first  term  of  court.  Mr.  Hart  was  on 
friendly  terms  with  Byron's  counsel,  Judge  Morey,  and  I 
learned  from  him  that  it  was  his  intention  to  apply  for  a  con- 
tinuance of  the  case  at  the  approaching  term  of  the  court. 
I  regarded  this  as  the  ordinary  course  of  lawyers  when  they 
have  no  valid  defence,  to  endeavor  to  clear  their  client  by 
wearing  out  the  prosecution,  and  by  causing  the  witnesses  all 
the  annoyance  in  their  power.  I  therefore  determined  to  frus- 
trate the  design.  Accordingly,  I  made  secret  arrangements 
with  Mr.  Hart ;  and  as  the  court  was  to  meet  on  the  follow- 
ing Monday,  I  sent  Grover  at  once  to  Chicago  to  visit  Byron, 
and  directed  him,  during  my  conversation  with  him  to  say  that 
he  hoped  his  trial  would  come  off  as  early  in  the  week  as 
possible,  because  he  (Grover)  had  a  big  job  to  do  ;  and  if  it 
were  successful  he  might  leave  the  States  for  a  long  time. 
I  knew  Byron  relied  entirely  upon  Grover's  evidence,  and 
that  he  would  do  anything  rather  than  lose  it, — indeed  if  he 
cailed  him  his  last  hope  was  gone.  This,  then,  was  what  I 
did  to  thwart  the  lawyers. 


BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE.  205 

I  did  not  appear  in  Adrian  on  the  first  day  of  the  court, 
but  two  bills  of  indictment  weie  found  against  Byron.  On 
the  second  day,  I  telegraphed  from  Chicago  to  Mr.  Hart,  in 
accordance  with  our  previous  arrangement,  asking  him  to 
have  Byron's  case  continued  until  next  term  ;  adding  that 
1  had  just  received  a  telegram  from  the  Postmaster-Gen- 
eral ordering  me  to  come  to  Washington,  and  that  I  should 
leave  Chicago  by  the  first  train,  which  indeed  I  did  ;  but 
went  to  Adrian  instead  of  Washington.  I  arrived  there  in 

• 

the  night,  and  getting  quietly  off  at  the  rear  of  the  train 
where  I  met  Mr.  Sinclair,  and  without  being  noticed  by  any 
one  else,  went  direct  to  that  gentleman's  house,  where  a 
private  room  had  been  prepared  for  me.  No  one  here  saw 
me,  except  Mr.  Hart  and  Mr.  Moore,  who  called  to  tell  me 
that  Judge  Morey  had  swallowed  the  bait ;  and  that  in  his 
argument  before  the  court  that  morning  he  had  vehemently 
protested  against  any  continuance  in  the  case,  urging  that 
it  \vas  no  duty  of  his  to  disregard  the  rights  of  his  client  by 
postponing  the  trial  until  next  court,  because  I  chose  to  be 
absent ;  and  especially  since  that  man  was  no  witness  but  a 
mere  representative  of  the  Government.  He  also  urged 
that  Byron  would  suffer  irreparable  injury,  as  his  principal 
and  most  important  witness,  a  very  respectable  man  named 
Grover,  would  not  be  able  to  attend  during  the  next  term 
of  court,  owing  to  important  business  which  would  compel 
his  presence  in  a  distant  State. 

The  counsel  for  the  prosecution  pleaded  for  the  'continu- 
ance of  course,  although  he  was  not  very  eloquent  upon  the 
subject.  But  Judge  Wing  decided  that  the  case  must  go 


206  BYRON  AS  A  DETECTIVE. 

to  trial ;  and  thus  far  my  plans  succeeded  to  my  entire  sat- 
isfaction. 

Being  informed  of  these  particulars,  and  that  the  case  was 
now  progressing  well,  I  walked  down  to  the  court ;  and 
when  I  entered,  the  prosecuting  attorney  had  finished  his 
opening  speech,  and  Judge  Morey  was  addressing  the 
court,  informing  the  jury  what  he  meant  to  prove  through 
Grover  by  way  of  defence.  He  expatiated  largely  upon 
the  illustrious  parentage  of  the  prisoner.  Lord  Byron,  he 
said,  was  a  name  emblazoned  upon  the  scrolls  of  fame  all 
the  world  over.  His  poems  were  the  pride  and  boast  of  all 
who  spoke  the  great  English  language.  He  had  rendered 
incalculable  service  to  the  literature  of  his  country ;  and  he 
should  prove  to  him  that  the  name  of  the  father  was  not 
more  spotless  than  that  of  the  son. 

As  he  concluded  and  sat  down,  my  eyes  met  his,  and  I 
made  him  a  polite  bow,  at  which  Judge  Morey  appeared 
completely  taken  by  surprise.  He  could  hardly  believe  that 
I  was  there  in  propria  persona.  He  removed  the  specta 
cles  from  his  nose,  and  tried  the  naked  eye,  then  wiped  and 
placed  the  glasses  in  their  position  ;  during  the  whole  of 
which  performance  the  counsel  for  the  prosecution  and  I 
were  the  observed  of  all  observers.  Desirous  of  relieving 
Mr.  Morey's  mind  of  its  uncertainty  respecting  my  iden- 
tity, I  advanced  and  held  out  my  hand  to  him.  Mr. 
Morey  started  to  his  feet  and  demanded  in  not  the  most 
refined  language  where  I  came  from ;  adding,  "  I  under- 
stood, sir,  that  you  were  in  Washington.  How — came  you 
here  ?  " 


The  Surprised  Lawyer.—/.  206. 


BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE.  207 

I  replied  that,  owing  to  some  stupidity  on  the  part  of  the 
government  officials,  the  dispatch  which  I  had  received  came 
to  the  wrong  man  ;  so  that,  instead  of  going  to  Washington  I 
had  come  to  Adrian. 

I  then  congratulated  the  Judge  on  the  eloquent  speech  he 
had  made ;  but  the  compliment  was  treated  with  supreme 
contempt.  Mr.  Morey  turning  round  and  addressing  Byron — 

who  sat  by  his  side — in  an  audible  voice  said  :  "I'm  d d, 

Byron,  if  old  Pinkerton  has  not  sold  us  !  " 

The  trial  proceeded.  The  witnesses  for  the  prosecution 
were  nearly  all  examined,  and  Mr.  Morey  cherished  the  idea 
that  a  very  weak  case  had  been  made  out,  and  that  there 
was  a  fair  chance  of  victory  being  upon  his  side. 

As  regards  the  boots,  I  was  confident  I  could  explain 
that  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Judge  and  Jury,  while  by  means 
of  Grover's  evidence  an  alibi  would  be  proven.  He  was  so 
satisfied  that  he  would  establish  the  innocence  of  his  client 
by  the  testimony  of  this  witness  that  he  actually  ceased  any 
longer  to  pay  particular  attention  to  the  trial. 

At  this  juncture  the  evidence  of  the  prosecution  was  draw- 
ing rapidly  to  a  close.  Only  another  witness  remained  to  be 
examined.  He  was  soon  summoned  by  the  officer  of  the 
court,  and  John  Black  was  no  sooner  called  than  he  was  in 
the  witness-box.  Then  began  a  series  of  questions  which 
were  answered  as  rapidly  as  they  were  put,  like  a  running 
fire  all  along  the  lines.  Neither  Morey  nor  Byron  lifted  up 
their  heads  to  honor  the  witness  with  a  glance.  They  doubt- 
less heard  the  name  "  John  Black  "  called ;  but  as  he  did  not, 
as  they  supposed,  in  any  way  concern  them,  they  went  on 


208  BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

with   a  pleasant  and  private  tete-d-tete,  as  if  nothing  par 
ticular  was  about  to  happen. 

"  What  is  your  name,  sir  ?  "  said  the  prosecuting  counsel. 

"John  Black,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Where  do  you  reside  ?  " 

"In  Chicago." 

"  In  whose  employ  are  you  ?'" 

"Allan  Pinkerton's." 

"What  are  your  duties?" 

"  I  am  a  detective,  sir." 

"  Where  did  you  become  acquainted  with  the  prisoner 
Byron  ?  " 

"  In  Chicago  jail." 

"  Well,  sir,  tell  us  what  you  have  to  say  about  him." 

At  this  moment  the  greatest  silence  reigned  throughout  the 
court  Judge  Morey  and  Byron  raised  their  heads,  and  gazed 
with  astonishment  upon  the  scene  before  them.  Byron's 
face  changed  in  a  moment  from  vivid  life  to  ashy  paleness  of 
death.  His  eyes  seemed  to  dilate  as  if  they  would  burst 
from  their  sockets. 

He  could  hardly  believe  that  the  witness  was  the  same  per- 
son on  whom  he  had  so  faithfully  relied,  and  who  was  to  come 
into  court  and  swear  as  he  had  instructed  him  ;  but  as  the 
witness  proceeded  the  awful  truth  gradually  took  possession 
of  his  mind  that  he  must  pay  the  penalty  for  his  crime, 
and  an  expression  of  utter  horror  and  despair  settled  upon 
his  face.  Indeed  he  looked  like  a  lost  soul,  shivering  with 
terror  on  the  margin  of  eternity. 

In  a  moment  Mr.  Morey  apprehended  the  scene.     There, 


BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE.  209 

in  the  person  of  Black,  stood  bold  and  upright  in  the  witness- 
box  the  Mr.  Grover  by  whose  testimony  he  had  expected 
to  prove  the  prisoner's  innocence. 

His  great  bald  head,  his  round,  full-moon  face,  steamed 
with  perspiration  ;  his  eyes  rolled  and  flashed  in  agonies  of 
rage  to  find  himself  so  absolutely  baffled  and  cheated.  Off 
and  on  went  the  spectacles  in  rapid  succession.  He  shifted 
and  twisted  about  in  his  seat,  crushed  his  brief  in  his  hands, 
and  tore  it  to  pieces,  bit  by  bit,  as  the  imperturbable  Black 
went  on  with  his  straightforward  story.  When  he  came  to 
relate  how  he  had  been  employed  by  me  to  induce  Byron  to 
make  a  confession,  the  Judge  could  bear  no  more.  He 
bounded  from  his  chair,  capsizing  it  as  he  went,  with  both 
hands  on  the  top  of  his  head,  he  stalked  hurriedly  up  and 
down  the  open  space  in  the  hall  before  the  bar,  his  face 
bathed  with  perspiration  and  his  mouth  foaming  with  half 
inarticulate  imprecations.  Then  he  suddenly  confronted 
Byron,  and  in  a  voice  choking  with  excitement  said :  "  Is 
this  your  witness  Grover  ? "  Byron  made  no  reply,  but 
stared  at  him  with  the  vacant  eyes  of  an  idiot.  Again  he 
approached  Byron  and  repeated  the  question  :  "  Is  this  your 
witness  Grover  ?  "  Byron,  utterly  bewildered,  muttered 
"Yes."  After  telling  Byron  that  he  (Byron)  had  no  longer 
any  need  of  his  services,  he  added  aloud,  so  that  all  the 
court  heard  him  :  "  We  are  sold,  sir !  I  repeat  it,  sir,  we  are 
sold  by  that  d d  old  Pinkerton  ! " 

Then  seizing  his  hat  he  rushed  from  the  court-room  before 
the  presiding  Judge  was  able  to  censure  him  for  his  con 
tempt  of  court. 


S10  BYRON  AS  A   DETECTIVE. 

The  remainder  of  the  story  is  soon  told.  Black  went  on 
with  his  evidence  in  spite  of  the  ludicrous  scene  which  has 
just  been  described,  and  the  jury,  without  retiring  from  their 
seats,  found  Byron  guilty  of  the  two  indictments  preferred 
against  him. 

Judge  Wing,  in  summing  up  the  case  before  passing  sen- 
tence, spoke  of  the  heinousness  of  the  prisoner's  crime,  and 
regretted  that  capital  punishment  was  not  in  force  in  Mich- 
igan. He  sentenced  him,  however,  only  upon  one  of  the 
indictments,  and  sent  him  to  Jackson  Penitentiary  for 
ninety-nine  years  ;  adding  that  at  this  present  time  he  thought 
this  would  be  enough  for  him,  and  satisfy  the  claims  of 
justice.  "  When  the  prisoner,"  continued  the  learned  and 
somewhat  facetious  Judge,  "  has  served  the  period  prescribed 
by  this  sentence,  I  shall  be  happy,  if  I  am  spared  till  then, 
to  sentence  him  on  the  remaining  indictment." 

Byron  was  then  taken  from  the  court-house  to  the  jail. 
The  fearful  revulsion  of  feeling  produced  by  his  suddenly 
altered  circumstances,  from  the  prospect  and  hope  of  im 
mediate  liberty  to  a  doom  of  solitary  imprisonment  for  life, 
utterly  prostrated  him. 

On  a  warm,  bright,  and  sunny  morning,  a  few  days  after  the 
trial,  while  I  was  enjoying  a  walk  and  idmiring  the  beautiful 
scenery  around  the  pretty  city  of  Adrian,  I  met  Sheriff  Ben- 
nett, who  had  Byron  in  charge  heavily  ironed  and  strongly 
guarded  on  his  way  to  Jackson.  Byron  at  once  recognized 
me,  and  suddenly  sprang  to  his  feet  with  all  the  fury  and 
malice  of  hell  in  his  eyes  and  on  his  tongue. 

There  he  stood,  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  guard  to 


BYRON  AS  A  DETECTIVE.  211 

thrust  him  down,  and  cursed  me  with  the  most  horrible 
oaths  and  imprecations.  This  was  the  last  time  I  saw 
Byron,  who  died  in  about  three  years  afterwards,  but  not 
before  he  had  sent  for  Mr.  Baker  and  acknowledged  that  it 
was  he  and  Napier  who  had  robbed  the  mails  at  the  time 
the  collision  occurred  between  the  Michigan  Central  and 
Michigan  Southern  trains  when  about  ten  miles  from 
Chicago,  alluded  to  at  the  commencement  of  this  narration. 
Byron  said  that  it  was  the  easy  manner  in  which  they 
robbed  the  mails  on  that  fearful  occasion,  thereby  putting 
them  into  possession  of  a  large  sum  of  money  at  little  risk, 
that  instigated  him  and  his  comrade  to  the  perpetration  of 
the  succeeding  outrages. 


THE   END. 


THE 

HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 


THE  HARD  LIFE 

OF 

THE    DETECTIVE 


CHAPTER  L 

EVERY  person  who  may  have  survived  the  experience 
has  undoubtedly   a    lively    recollection    of  the   wild 
groups  of  people  which  the  building  of  the  Union  and  Cen- 
tral   Pacific  railroads  brought  together  from  -all  directions, 
and  from  all  causes. 

There  were  millions  upon  millions  of  dollars  to  be  ex- 
pended ;  and  as  the  points  of  construction  neared  each 
other,  and  the  twin  bands  of  iron  crept  along  the  earth's 
surface  like  two  huge  serpents,  spanning  mighty  rivers, 
penetrating  vast  mountains,  and  trailing  through  majestic 
forests,  creeping  slowly  but  surely  towards  each  other,  there 
was  always  the  greatest  dread  at  the  most  advanced  points, 
which,  like  the  heads,  of  serpents,  always  contained  dan- 
ger and  death ;  and  the  vast  cities  of  a  day  that  then 
sprang  into  existence,  and  melted  away  like  school-chil- 
dren's snow  houses,  were  the  points  where  such  wild 
scenes  were  enacted  as  will  probably  never  again  occur  in 
the  history  of  railroad  building. 


216          THE  HARD  LIFE    OF   THE  DETECTIVE. 

Everything  contributed  to  make  these  places  typical  of 
Babelbic  confusion  or  Pandemoniac  contention.  Foreign- 
ers were  told  of  the  exhaustless  work,  and  the  exhaustless 
wealth,  of  this  new  country  which  \vas  being  so  rapidly  de- 
veloped, and  they  came  ;  men, — brave  men,  too, — who  had 
been  on  the  wrong  side  during  the  late  irritation,  and  who 
had  lost  all,  having  staked  all  on  the  result  of  the  war,  saw 
a  possible  opportunity  of  retrieving  their  fortunes  rapidly, 
and  they  came  ;  the  big-headed  youth  of  the  village  whose 
smattering  of  books  at  the  academy,  or  the  seminary,  had 
enlarged  his  brain  and  contracted  his  sense  so  that  he  was 
too  good  for  the  common  duties  and  everyday  drudgeries 
which,  with  patience,  lead  to  success,  learned  of  the  glory 
and  grandeur  of  that  new  land,  and  he  came ;  the  specu- 
lating shirk  and  the  peculating  clerk  came ;  the  almond- 
eyed  sons  of  the  Orient  in  herds — herds  of  quick-witted, 
patient,  plodding  beings  who  could  be  beaten,  starved, 
even  murdered  —  came ;  the  forger,  the  bruiser,  the 
counterfeiter,  the  gambler,  the  garroter,  the  prostitute,  the 
robber,  and  the  murderer,  each  and  every,  came ;  there  was 
adventure  for  the  adventurous,  gold  for  the  thief,  waiting 
throats  for  the  murderer ;  while  the  few  respectable  people 
quickly  became  discouraged  and  fell  into  the  general  loose- 
ness of  habits  that  the  loose  life  engendered,  and  gradually 
grew  reckless  as  the  most  reckless,  or  quickly  acquiesced  in 
the  wild  orgies  or  startling  crimes  which  were  of  common  oc- 
currence. In  fact,  as  in  the  human  system,  when  any  por- 
tion of  it  becomes  diseased  and  all  the  poison  in  the  blood 
flows  to  it,  further  corrupting  and  diseasing  it  until  arrested 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  L'17 

by  a  gradual  purification  of  the  whole  body,  or  by  some 
severe  treatment,  so  from  every  portion  of  the  country 
flowed  these  streams  of  morally  corrupt  people,  until  nearly 
every  town  \vest  of  the  Missouri,  or  east  of  the  mountains, 
along  these  lines,  became  a  terror  to  honest  people,  and 
continued  so  until  an  irresistible  conflict  compelled  a 
moral  revulsion,  sometimes  so  sweeping  and  violent  as  to 
cause  an  application  of  that  unwritten,  though  often  ex- 
ceedingly just  law,  the  execution  of  which  leaves  offenders 
dangling  to  limbs  of  trees,  lamp-posts,  and  other  conve- 
nient points  of  suspension. 

As  a  rule,  in  these  places  every  man,  whatever  his  busi- 
ness and  condition,  was  thoroughly  armed,  the  question  of 
self-defence  being  a  permanent  one,  from  the  fact  that  laws 
which  governed  older  communities  were  completely  a  dead 
letter ;  and  the  law  of  might,  in  a  few  instances  made  some- 
what respectable  by  a  faint  outline  of  ruffianly  honor,  alone 
prevailed,  until  advancing  civilization  and  altered  condi- 
tions brought  about  a  better  state  of  society  ;  so  that  in  these 
reckless  crowds  which  pushed  after  the  constantly  changing 
termini  of  the  approaching  roads,  any  instrument  of  blood- 
shed was  considered  valuable,  and  stores  where  arms  and  am- 
munition could  be  secured  did  quite  as  large  a  trade  as 
those  devoted  to  any  other  branch  of  business ;  while  so 
outrageous  was  the  price  extorted  for  these  instruments  of 
aggressign  or  defence,  that  they  have  often  been  known  to 
sell  for  their  weight  in  gold  ;  and  just  as,  during  the  war,  the 
army  "-as  followed  by  enterprising  traders  who  turned 
many  an  honest  penny  trafficking  at  the  heels  of  the  weary 

10 


218  THE  HARE  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

soldiers,  so  the  same  class  of  people  were  not  slow  to  take 
advantage  of  such  opportunities  for  gigantic  profits  which, 
though  often  lessened  by  the  many  risks  run  in.  such  trad- 
ing, were  still  heavy  enough  to  prove  peculiarly  attractive. 

As  a  consequence,  there  were  many  firms  engaged  in  this 
particular  business,  but  probably  the  heaviest  was  that  of 
Kuhn  and  Bro's.,  who  were  reported  to  be  worth  upwards 
of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  which  had  principally  been 
made  along  the  line  of  the  road,  and  who,  with  headquarters 
at  Cheyenne,  had  established  various  "stores"  at  different 
points  as  the  Union  Pacific  was  pushed  on,  always  keeping 
the  largest  stock  at  the  most  advanced  point,  and  with- 
drawing sto*cks  from  the  paper  cities  which  had  been  left 
behind,  though  only  in  those  towns  which  had  not  been 
altogether  destroyed  by  the  periodical  exodus  occasioned 
by  each  change  of  terminus. 

For  this  reason  the  firms  were  obliged  to  entrust  their 
business  to  the  honesty  of  many  different  employes,  who 
were  subject  to  the  vitiating  influences  and  temptations, 
which  were  unusual  and  severe  under  the  circumstances 
already  mentioned,  while  the  distances  between  the  points, 
...ml  the  scarcity  of  secure  means  of  safely  keeping  the  large 
sums  of  money  which  would  occasionally  unavoidably  ac- 
crue at  certain  points,  left  Kuhn  and  Bros.,  in  many  in- 
s'ances,  really  dependent  on  those  dependent  on  them. 

In  this  condition  of  affairs,  and  after  a  slight  defalcation 
had  occurred  at  one  of  their,  smaller  stores  in  the  spring  of 
1867,  the  firm  were  seeking  a  man  whom  they  could  place 
in  actual  charge  of  one  or  two  of  their  establishments  at 
the  larger  towns,  and  give  a  sort  of  general  supervision 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  210 

over  the  others,  when  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  being 
in  Laramie,  casually  met  a  young  gentleman,  who 
happened  to  be  able  to  do  him  so  great  a  favor  that  the  in- 
cident led  to  a  close  friendship  and  ultimate  business  rela- 
tions, eventually  resulting  in  this  narrative  of  facts. 

It  was  a  pleasant  May  evening,  and  Mr.  Kuhn  had  de- 
cided to  returned  to  Cheyenne  in  order  to  secure  a  proper 
man  for  the  superintendency  nearer  home.  He  was  to  have 
left  Laramie  for  the  East  at  a  late  hour  of  the  evening, 
and,  being  at  a  loss  how  to  pass  the  intervening  time, 
strolled  out  from  the  hotel  with  no  particular  destination  in 
view,  and  his  mind  fully  occupied  with  the  cares  of  his  busi- 
ness, only  occasionally  noticing  some  peculiarity  or  strange 
sight  more  than  usually  striking  among  the  thousands  of 
weired  things,  to  which  his  frontier  business  had  compelled 
him  to  become  accustomed,  when  suddenly  he  found  him- 
self in  front  of  a  mammoth  dance-house,  and,  yielding  to  a 
momentary  impulse  of  curiosity,  turned  into  the  place  with 
the  stream  of  gamblers,  adventurers,  greasers  ;  and,  in  fact, 
everybody  respectable  or  otherwise,  who,  so  far  from  civili- 
zation, found  such  a  place  peculiarly  attractive. 

The  dance -house  was  a  sort  of  hell's  bazaar,  if  the  term 
may  be  allowed — and  it  is  certainly  the  one  most  befitting 
it,- — and  was  really  no  "  house  "  at  all,  being  merely  a  very 
large  board  enclosure  covered  with  a  gigantic  tent  or  series 
of  tents,  bedecked  with  flags  and  gaudy  streamers.  The 
entrance  fee  to  this  elegant  place  of  amusement  was  one 
dollar,  and  you  had  only  paid  an  initiatory  fee  when  you 
had  "air.ed  admission. 


220  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

On  either  side  as  you  entered  were  immense  bars  built  of 
the  roughest  of  boards,  where  every  kind  of  liquid  poison 
was  dispensed  at  the  moderate  sum  of  twenty-five  cents  a 
drink,  five-cent  cigars  selling  at  the  same  price,  and  the 
united  efforts  of  a  half-dozen  murderous  looking  bar-tenders 
at  each  side  were  required  to  assuage  the  thirst  of  the  quite 
as  murderous-looking  crowd  that  swayed  back  and  forth 
within  the  space  evidently  prepared  for  that  purpose. 

Beyond  this  point,  and  to  either  side,  as .  also  down  the 
centre  for  some  distance,  could  be  found  almost  every 
known  game  of  chance,  dealt,  of  course,  "by  the  house," 
while  surrounding  the  lay-outs  were  every  description  of 
men  crazed  with  drink,  flushed  with  success,  or  deathly  pale 
from  sudden  ruin  ;  while  everywhere  the  revolver  or  the 
bowie  intimated  with  what  terrible  swiftness  and  certainty 
any  trifling  dispute,  rankling  grudge,  or  violent  insult  would 
be  settled,  one  way  or  the  other,  and  to  be  marked  by  the 
mere  pitching  of  an  inanimate  form  into  the  street ! 

After  these  attractions  came  a  stout  partition  which  had 
evidently  been  found  necessary,  for  beyond  it  there  was  the 
strikingly  strange  heaven  of  a  mushroom  city — a  vast  de- 
partment where  there  were  music  and  women  ;  and  it 
seemed  that  the  "management"  of  this  grand  robbers' 
roost  had  shrewdly  calculated  on  the  fact  that  if  a  poor  fool 
had  not  been  swindled  out  of  every  dollar  he  might  have 
had  before  he  reached  this  point,  those  two  elements,  all 
powerful  for  good  or  evil  the  world  over,  would  wring  the 
last  penny  from  him. 

Here  was  another  but  a  finer  bar,  where  more  time  was 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  221 

taken  to  prepare  a  drink  and  drug  a  man  with  some  show 
of  artistic  excellence,  and  where  a  half  dollar  was  changed 
for  a  single  measure  of  poison  ;  women, — shrewd,  devilish 
women  who  could  shoot  or  cut,  if  occasion  required,  with 
the  nicety  and  effect  of  a  man, — "  steering  "  every  person 
giving  token  of  having  money  in  his  possession  to  the  more 
genteelly  gotten  up  "  lay-outs,"  and  acting  in  the  same  ca- 
pacity, only  with  far  more  successful  results,  as  the  ordinary 
"ropers-in"  of  any  large  city  ;  a  wild,  discordant  orchestra 
that  would  have  been  hooted  out  of  the  lowest  of  i;  varie- 
ties "  east  of  the  Missouri ;  but  in  this  place,  and  to  these 
cars,  so  long  unused  to  the  music  of  the  far-away  homes 
beyond  the  Mississippi,  producing  the  very  perfection  of 
enchanting  harmonies  ;  but  above  all,  and  the  crowning  at- 
traction before  which  every  other  thing  paled  and  dwindled 
to  insignificance,  a  score  of  abandoned  women,  dancing  and 
ogling  with  every  manner  of  man,  robbing  them  while  em- 
bracing, cheering  and  drinking  with  them,  and  in  ever}-  way 
bedeviling  them  ;  the  whole  forming  a  scene  viler  than 
imagination  or  the  pen  of  man  can  conceive  or  picture ; 
grouping  of  wild  orgies  and  terrible  debaucheries,  such  as 
would  put  Luciefer  to  a  blush,  and  compel  a  revolution  in 
the  lowest  depths  of  Hades. 

Kuhn  had  strolled  through  the  place,  and  now,  out  of 
compliment  to  general  custom,  purchased  a  cigar  and  was 
just  turning  to  depart,  when  he  suddenly  found  himself 
being  hustled  back  and  forth  among  several  hard-looking 
fellows,  who,  evidenfy  knowing  his  business,  and  surmising 
that  he  carried  large  sums  of  money  upon  his  person,  had 


2:22  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

determined  to  provoke  him  to  resistance  ;  when  there  would 
according  to  the  social  codes  then  in  existence  at  Laramie, 
have  been  a  just  cause  for  either  robbing  and  beating  him, 
or  murdering  him  outright  aud  robbing  him  afterwards ; 
when  a  tall,  finely-formed  man  suddenly  stepped  into  the 
crowd,  and  in  a  very  decided  tone  of  voice  said  : 

rt  I  say,  gentlemen,  that  won't  do.  You  must  stand 
back  !" 

Then  taking  the  terror-stricken  ammunition  dealer  by 
the  coat  collar  with  his  left  hand,  but  keeping  his  right 
hand  free  for  quick  use  and  certain  work,  if  necessary,  he 
trolled  him  through  the  now  excited  throng  and  out  into 
the  open  air,  hastily  telling  him  to  "  cut  for  the  hotel," 
which  were  quite  unnecessary  instructions,  as  he  made  for 
that  point  at  as  lively  a  gait  as  his  rather  dumpy  legs  could 
carry  him.  • 

The  person  who  had  thus  prevented  the  merchant's 
being  robbed,  and  had  also  possibly  saved  his  life,  was  a 
tall,  comely  young  man  of  about  twenty-eight  years  of  age, 
and  with  a  complexion  as  fair  as  a  woman's,  pleasant, 
though  determined,  blue  eyes,  and  a  long,  reddish,  luxuri- 
ant beard,  all  of  which,  with  a  decidedly  military  cut  to  his 
grey,  woollen  garments,  and  long  fair  hair  .falling  upon  his 
shoulders — the  whole  crowned,  or  rather  slouched  over,  by 
a  white  hat  of  extraordinary  width  of  brim,  gave  him  the 
appearance  of  an  ex-Confederate  officer,  and  right  good 
fellow,  as  the  term  goes,  perfectly  capable  of  caring  for 
himself  wherever  his  fortune,  or  misfortune,  might  lead  him; 
which  proved  the  case  as  he  turned  and  confronted  the 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  223 

desperadoes,  who  had  immediately  followed  him  in  a  threat- 
ening manner,  and  whom  he  stood  ready  to  receive  with  a 
navy  revolver  half  as  long  as  his  arm,  mysteriously  whipped 
from  some  hiding-place,  in  each  steady  hand. 

A  critical  examination  of  the  man  as  he  stood  there,  and 
a  very  casual  survey  of  him,  for  that  matter,  would  have  in- 
stantly suggested  the  fact  to  an  ordinary  observer  that  a 
very  cool  man  at  the  rear  ends  of  two  navy  revolvers  huge 
enough  to  have  been  mounted  for  light  artillery  service, 
was  something  well  calculated  to  check  the  mounting  am- 
bition on  the  part  of  most  anybody  to  punish  him  for  the 
character  of  the  interference  shown  ;  and  the  leader  of  the 
gang  contented  himself  with  remarking,  "See  here,  Captain 
Harry,  if  it  was'nt  you,  there' d  be  a  reck'ning  here ;_ 
lively,  too,  I'm  tellin'  ye  !" 

"Well,  but  it  is  me;  and  so  there  won't  be  *any  reck- 
'ning. Will  there,  now,  eh  ?" 

The  ruffians  made  no  answer,  but  sullenly  returned  to 
the  dance-house,  when  Captain  Harry,  as  he  had  been 
called,  rammed  the  two  huge  revolvers  into  his  boot  legs. 
which  action  displayed  a  smaller  weapon  of  the  same  kind 
upon  each  hip  ;  after  which  he  nodded  a  pleasant  "  good 
night "  to  the  bystanders,  and  walked  away  leisurely  in  the 
direction  Mr.  Kuhn  had  taken,  pleasantly  whistling  "  The 
Bonnie  Blue  Flag,"  or  "  The  Star  Spangled  Banner,"  as 
best  suited  him. 

The  moment  that  Mr.  Kuhn's  protector  appeared  at  the 
hotel,  the  former  gentleman  expressed  his  liveliest  thanks 
for  the  opportune  assistance  he  had  been  rendered,  and 


2'2-i  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

introduced  himself  to  the  captain,  who  already  knew  of  him, 
and  who  in  return  gave  his  name  as  "  Harry  G.  Taylor,  the 
man  from  somewhere,"  as  he  himself  expressed  it  with 
a  pleasant  laugh. 

It  was  easy  to  be  seen  that  there  was  a  stroke  of  business 
in  Mr.  Kuhn's  eye,  which  his  escape  from  the  dance-house 
had  suggested,  as  he  told  Taylor  that  he  had  intended  to  re- 
turn to  Cheyenne  that  night ;  but  he  further  stated  that  as 
he  had  so  unexpectedly  been  befriended,  he  should  certainly 
be  obliged  to  remain  another  day  in  order  to  secure  a  fur- 
ther acquaintance  with  the  man  to  whom  he  already  owed 
so  much. 

Mr.  Kuhn  then  produced  some  choice  cigars,  and  the  gen- 
tlemen secured  a  retired  place  upon  the  hotel-porch,  at 
once  entering  into  a  general  conversation  which,  from  the 
merchant's  evident  unusual  curiosity,  and  Taylor's  quite  as 
evident  good  humored,  devil-may-care  disposition,  caused  it 
to  drift  into  the  Captain's  account  of  himself. 

He  told  Mr.  Kuhn  that  his  family  resided  at  that  time  in 
Philadelphia,  where  they  had  moved  after  his  father  had  failed 
in  business  at  Raleigh,  N.  C.,  but  had  taken  so  honorable  a 
name  with  him  to  the  former  city  that  he  had  been  able  to 
retrieve  his  fortunes  to  some  extent.  The  captain  was 
born  at  Raleigh,  and  had  received  his  education  in  the 
South,  and,  being  unable  to  share  in  his  father's  regard  for 
the  North,  even  as  a  portion  of  the  country  best  adapted 
for  doing  business,  sought  out  some  of  his  old  college 
friends  in  Louisville,  Atlanta,  and  New  Orleans,  who  had 
been  able  to  secure  him  a  fine  business  position  at  Atlanta, 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  225 

\\  here  by  care  and  economy  in  1860,  though  but  a  mere  boy 
yet,  he  had  accumulated  property  that  would  have  satisfied 
many  a  man  twenty  years  his  senior. 

Being  impulsive,  and  a  warm  admirer  of  Southern  institu- 
tions, he  was  one  of  the  first  men  to  join  the  Confederate 
army  at  Atlanta,  and  fought  in  a  Georgia  Regiment  under 
Johnson  and  Hood  during  the  entire  war,  at  Jonesville  and 
Rough-and-ready  Station  seeing  the  smoke  ascend  above 
the  ruins  of  the  once  beautiful  city,  and  realizing  that  the 
most  of  his  earthly  possessions  had  disappeared  when  the 
flames  died  away. 

Having  been  promoted  to  a  captaincy,  he  had  fought  as 
bravely  as  he  could  against  the  "  blue-coats,"  like  a  man 
acknowledging  their  bravery  as  well  as  that  of  his  com- 
rades ;  and  at  the  close  of  the  war,  which  of  course  ter- 
minated disadvantageously  to  his  interests,  he  had  sold  his 
lots  at  Atlanta  for  whatever  he  could  get  for  them,  and 
with  thousands  of  others  in  like  circumstances,  had  come 
West  and  taken  his  chances  at  retrieving  his  fortunes. 

This  was  told  in  a  frank  straightforward  way,  which  seemed 
to  completely  captivate  Mr.  Kuhn,  for  he  at  once  spoke  to 
Taylor  concerning  his  business  in  Laramie,  and  bluntly 
asked  him,  in  the  event  of  mutual  and  satisfactory  referen- 
ces being  exchanged,  whether  he  would  accept  the  engage- 
ment as  superintendent  of  his  business  over  that  portion  of 
the  road,  and  take  actual  charge  of  the  store  in  that  place, 
and  the  one  about  to  be  established  at  Benton  City. 

The  result  of  the  evening's  interview  was  the  engagement 
of  Taylor  by  the  firm  at  a  large  salary  ;  his  immediately 
10* 


236  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  TffE  DETECTIVE. 

taking  supervision  of  the  business  without  bonds  or  any 
security  whatever ;  and  for  a  time  his  management  and 
habits  were  so  able  and  irreproachable  that,  with  the  grati- 
.  tude  for  his  protection  of  Mr.  Kuhn  at  Lamarie  still  fresh 
and  sincere,  the  firm  felt  that  they  had  been  most  fortunate 
in  their  selection  of  an  utter  stranger,  and  were  in  every 
way  gratified  with  the  turn  events  had  taken. 


CHAPTER  II. 

DURING  the  early  morning  of  a  blustering  December 
day  of  the  same  year,  I  was  quite  annoyed  by  the 
persistence  of  a  gentleman  to  see  me,  on  what  he  insisted, 
in  the  business  office  of  my  Chicago  agency,  on  terming 
"  important  business." 

It  was  not  later  than  half  past  eight  o'clock  ;  and,  as  I 
have  made  it  a  life-long  practice  to  get  at  business  at  an 
early  hour,  get  ahead  of  it,  and  keep  ahead  of  it  during  the 
day,  I  was  elbow-deep  in  the  mass  of  letters,  telegrams, 
and  "communications  of  a  different  nature  which  in  my  busi- 
ness invariably  accumulates  during  the  night,  and  felt 
anxious  to  wade  through  it  before  taking  up  any  other 
matter. 

The  gentleman,  who  gave  the  name  of  Kuhn,  seemed 
very  anxious  to  see  me,  however  and  letting  drop  the  state- 
ments that  he  greatly  desired  to  take  the  morning  train  for 
Cheyenne,  where  he  resided ;  might  not  be  able  to  be  in 
Chicago  again  for  some  time  ;  felt  very  desirous  of  seeing 
/ne  personally  ;  and  would  require  but  a  few  moments  to 
explain  his  business,  which  he  agreed  to  make  explicit ;  I 
concluded  to  drop  everything  else  and  see  him. 

On  being  ushered  into  my  private  apartments,  he  at  once 
hastily  gave  me  an  outline  of  the  facts  related  in  the  prrvi- 


US8  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

cms  chapter,  adding  a  new  series  of  incidents  which  occa- 
sioned his  visit,  and  to  the  effect  that  the  firm  had  made  the 
necessary  arrangements  for  increasing  their  business  undei 
their  new  superintendent,  having  added  largely  to  their  stock 
at  Laramie,  and  placed  about  twenty  thousand  dollars  worth 
of  goods  at  Benton  City. 

According  to  the  agreement,  he  was  required  to  forward 
money  whenever  the  sales  had  reached  a  stated  sum  at  each 
point,  and  was  given  authority  to  take  charge  of  goods  or 
moneys  on  hand  at  any  of  the  less  important  stations,  when 
convinced  that  things  were  being  run  loosely,  or  whenever 
it  in  any  way  appeared  for  the  interests  of  the  firm  for  him 
to  do  so. 

It  will  be  seen  that  under  this  arrangement,  which  was  in 
every  respect  injudicious,  no  security  having  been  given  by 
Taylor,  he  immediately  became  possessed  of  great  responsi- 
bility, as  well  as  power  ;  but  appeared  to  appreciate  the 
unusual  confidence  reposed  in  him,  and  conducted  the  busi- 
ness of  Kuhn  Bros,  with  unusual  profit  to  them  and  credit 
to  himself.  Matters  progressed  in  this  way  for  some  time, 
when  suddenly,  about  the  first  of  October,  the  firm  at  Chey- 
enne began  to  receive  dispatches  from  different  employes 
along  the  road,  inquiring  when  Taylor  was  to  return  from 
Cheyenne,  and  intimating  that  business  was  greatly  suffering 
from  his  absence.  The  members  of  the  firm  were  aston- 
ished. They  knew  nothing  of  Taylor's  being  in  Cheyenne. 
On  the  contrary,  their  last  advices  from  him  were  to  the 
affect  that  he  should  be  at  their  city  on  the  tenth  of  that 
month,  with  large  collections ;  and  the  announcement  was 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  229 

accompanied  with  glowing  accounts  of  the  prosperity  of 
their  business  under  his  careful  management. 

After  the  startling  intelligence  of  Taylor's  unaccountable 
absence,  a  member  of  the  firm  immediately  left  for  Laramie, 
Kenton  City,  and  other  points,  to  ascertain  the  true  condi- 
tion of  affairs,  still  unable  to  believe  that  the  handsome, 
chivalrous  captain  had  wronged  them,  and  that  everything 
would  be  found  right'  upon  examination  of  matters  which 
was  immediately  and  searchingly  entered  upon  ;  but  the  first 
glance  at  affairs  showed  conclusively  that  they  had  been 
swindled,  and  it  was  soon  discovered  that  he  had  gathered 
together  at  the  stores  under  his  own  charge,  and  at  differ- 
ent points  along  the  line,  under  various  pretexts,  fully  four- 
teen thousand  dollars,  and  had  been  given  two  weeks  in 
which  to  escape. 

Mr.  Kuhn  did  not  desire  to  give  the  case  into  my  hands 
on  that  morning  ;  but  explained  that  he  had  returned  from 
a  fruitless  trip  to  Philadelphia  in  search  of  his  former  super- 
intendent, and  had  been  advised  by  a  telegram  from  his 
brothers  to  lay  the  case  before  me  and  request  my  advice 
about  the  matter ;  at  the  same  time  securing  information 
about  the  probable  pecuniary  outlay  necessary  for  further 
prosecution  of  the  search,  and  such  other  items  of  informa- 
tion as  would  enable  him  to  counsel  with  the  remainder  of 
the  firm  concerning  the  case,  and  be  able  to  give  the  case 
Into  my  hands,  should  they  decide  to  do  so,  without  further 
llelay. 

This  was  given  him  ;  and  I,  in  turn,  secured  from  Mr. 
Kuhn  all  the  information  possible  concerning  Taylor,  which 


230  THE  HARD  LIFE   OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

was  scant  indeed,  as  they  had  seen  very  little  of  him,  could 
give  but  a  very  general  description  of  the  man,  and  here 
they  had  injudiciously  given  him  over  two  months  start, 
during  which  time  he  might  have  safely  got  to  the  other  side 
of  the  world. 

Only  one  item  of  information  had  been  developed  by 
which  a  clue  to  his  whereabouts  could  by  any  possibility  be 
imagined.  He  had  often  spoken  to  Mr.  Kuhn  in  the  most 
glowing  terms  of  life  in  both  Texas  and  Mexico,  as  he  had 
passed,  so  he  had  said,  a  portion  of  a  year  in  that  part  of 
America,  since  the  close  of  the  war,  and  in  connection  with 
the  subject,  he  had  stated  that  he  should  have  remained 
there  had  he  been  supplied  with  sufficient  capital  to  have 
enabled  him  to  begin  business. 

This  was  all ;  and  I  dismissed  the  swindled  merchant  with 
little  encouragement  as  to  the  result  of  a  chase  for  a  thief 
who  had  got  so  much  the  advantage  ;  or,  rather,  intimated 
to  him  that  though  I  had  no  doubts  of  being  able  to  eventu- 
ally catch  him,  it  would  be  rather  a  poor  investment  for  the 
firm  to  expend  the  amount  of  money  which  might  be  neces- 
sary to  effect  his  capture,  unless,  in  looking  into  the  matter 
further,  I  should  be  able  to  see  opportunities  for  securing 
much  better  knowledge  as  to  his  present  whereabouts,  or 
clues  which  could  be  made  to  lead  to  them. 

With  this  not  very  cheering  assurance,  Mr.  Kuhn  returned 
to  Cheyenne. 

Not  hearing  from  the  firm  for  several  days,  I  finally  dis- 
missed the  matter  entirely  from  mind  ;  but  on  arriving  at 
the  agency  one  morning,  I  received  instructions  from  the 


THE  HARD  LIFE   OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  231 

Gheyenne  firm  to  proceed  in  the  matter,  and  with  all  expe- 
dition possible  endeavor  to  cage  the  flown  bird  for  them. 

I  at  once  detailed  William  A.  Pinkerton,  my  eldest  son, 
and  at  present  assistant  .superintendent  of  my  Chicago' 
agency,  to  proceed  to  Cheyenne,  and  look  over  the  ground 
thoroughly  there,  and  also,  if  necessary,  to  proceed  along 
the  line  of  the  Union  Pacific,  and,  after  ascertaining  who  were 
Taylor's  friends  and  companions,  work  up  a  trail  through 
them,  which  would  eventually  bring  him  down. 

The  latter  course  was  not  necessary  to  be  followed,  how- 
ever, as  on  arriving  at  Cheyenne,  with  some  little  informa- 
tion gleaned  from  the  firm,  he  was  able  to  ascertain  that  a 
young  lawyer  there  named  La  Grange,  also  originally  from 
the  South,  had  been  a  quite  intimate  friend  of  Taylor's — so 
much  so,  in  fact,  that  La  Grange  had  for  the  last  six  months 
regularly  corresponded  with  the  captain's  sister,  who  had 
been  described  to  him  as  not  only  an  exceedingly  beautiful 
woman,  but  as  also  a  lady  possessed  of  unusual  accomplish- 
ments and  amiability. 

My  son  "  cultivated  "  La  Grange  largely  but  could  secure 
but  little  information  through  him.  He  seemed  to  know 
nothing  further  concerning  either  Taylor  or  his  family,  save 
that  he  had  incidentally  met  him*along  the  line  of  the  Union 
Pacific  ;  they  had  naturally  taken  a  sort  of  liking  to  each 
other,  and  in  that  way  became  friends  in  much  the  same 
manner  that  most  friendships  were  made  in  that  country. 
He  further  recollected  that  he  had  always  directed  his  let- 
ters  to  a  certain  post-office  box,  instead  of  to  a  street  num- 
ber ;  but  seemed  perfectly  mystfied  concerning  the  action 


232  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF   THE  DETECTIVE. 

of  the  brother.  He  had  just  returned  from  a  three  months 
absence  in  Kentucky,  and  it  was  the  first  intimation  he 
had  had  of  the  Captain's  crime.  La  Grange  also  said  that  as  he 
had  been  very  busy,  he  had  not  written  to  Miss  Lizzie  (evi- 
dently referring  to  the  sister),  nor  had  he  received  any  com- 
munication from  her  during  that  time.  He  had  had  a  pho- 
tograph of  Harry,  taken  in  full  dress  uniform  while  stationed 
at  Atlanta,  which  had  been  copied  in  Philadelphia,  but  a 
thorough  search  among  his  papers  failed  to  reveal  it. 

This  was  all  that  'my  son  could  secure,  as  La  Grange, 
evidently  suspecting  that,  in  his  surprise  at  Taylor's  crime, 
he  might  say  something  to  compromise  himself  and  endan- 
ger Taylor  or  wound  his  beautiful  sister,  to  whom  he  seemed 
greatly  attached,  positively  refused  to  have  anything  further 
to  say  concerning  the  matter  ;  and  with  what  information  he 
had,  William  returned  to  the  hotel  in  a  brown  study,  deter- 
mined to  take  time  to  exhaust  the  material  at  Cheyenne 
before  proceeding  on  the  proposed  trip  along  the  Union 
Pacific. 

After  summing  up  and  arranging  the  points  he  had  got 
hold  of,  he  telegraphed  me  fully,  adding  his  own  impres- 
sion that  Taylor  was  in  Texas,  but  expressing  a  doubt  as  to 
whether  he  had  better  proceed  along  the  Union  Pacific  for 
more  information,  or  go  on  to  Philadelphia  at  once  and  in 
some  way  secure  information  of  the  family  as  to  their  son's 
whereabouts. 

On  the  receipt  of  this  telegram,  which  arrived  in  Chicago 
about  noon,  I  at  once  resolved  upon  a  little  strategy,  being 
myself  satisfied  that  Taylor  had  proceeded  via  St.  Loui? 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DE7ECTIVE.  233 

and  New  Orleans  into  either  Texas  or  Mexico,  and  was 
then  engaged  under  his  own  or  an  assumed  name,  in  some 
business  agreeable  to  his  taste,  as  formerly  explained  to  Mr. 
Kuhn,  and  immediately  telegraphed  to  my  son  : 

"  Keep  La  Grange  busied  all  day  so  he  cannot  write,  or 
mail  letters.  Study  La  Grange's  language  and  modes  of  ex- 
pression. Get  LaGrange's  and  Taylor's  handwriting, 
signatures,  and  Miss  Taylor's  address,  and  come  next 
train." 

Agreeable  to  these  instructions,  he  secured  several  letters 
from  Taylor  to  Kuhn  &  brothers,  concerning  business 
matters,  with  the  last  one,  containing  the  announcement 
that  he  would  be  in  Cheyenne  on  the  tenth  of  October 
with  collections  ;  and  immediately  sent  by  a  messenger  a 
courteous  note  to  La  Grange,  desiring  an  outline  of 
Taylor's  life  so  far  as  he  might  feel  justified  in  giving  it,  and 
requesting  an  answer  which  was  politely  but  firmly  given  in 
the  negative  over  Adolph  La  Grange's  own  signature, 
which  completed  a  portion  of  his  work  neatly. 

The  balance  was  more  difficult.  He  ordered  a  sleigh, 
and  after  settling  his  hotel  bill,  but  reserving  his  room  for 
the  night,  at  once  drove  to  La  Grange's  office,  where  he  in 
person  thanked  him  for  his  courteous  letter,  even  if  he  did 
not  feel  justified  in  giving  him  the  information  desired.  A 
little  complimentary  conversation  ensued  during  which  time 
my  son's  quick  eyes  noticed  in  the  lawyer's  waste-basket  an 
envelope  evidently  discarded  on  account  of  its  soiled 
appearance,  addressed  to  "  Miss  Lizzie  Taylor,  Post-office 
Box ,  Philadelphia  "  which  on  the  first  opportunity  he 


t  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

Appropriated.  The  next  move  was  \&  prevent  La  Grange's 
mailing  any  letter,  as  it  was  evident  he  had  written  several, 
including  one  to  Taylor's  sister,  which  were  only  waiting  to 
be  mailed. 

Seeing  that  he  had  made  a  pleasant  impression  upon  La 
Grange,  who  appreciated  the  courtesy  of  the  call  under  the 
circumstances,  and  informing  him  that  he  had  decided  to 
make  no  further  inquiries  there,  but  was  to  proceed  west 
on  the  following  morning,  he  prevailed  upon  him  to  take  a 
ride  in  his  company  about  the  city  and  its  environs. 
In  leaving  his  office,  La  Grange  hesitated  a  moment  as  if 
deciding  the  propriety  of  taking  the  letters  with  him,  or 
returning  for  them  after  the  sleigh-ride ;  but  evidently  de- 
cided to  do  the  "latter,  as  he  left  them,  much  to  my  son's 
relief. 

The  drive  was  prolonged  as  much  as  possible,  and  the 
outlying  forts  visited,  where,  having  letters  of  introduction 
from  myself  to  several  army-officers  stationed  there,  both 
he  and  his  companion  were  so  hospitably  treated  that  the 
afternoon  slipped  away  quickly,  and  the  two  returned  to 
town  evidently  in  high  spirits.  La  Grange  felt  compelled 
to  reciprocate  as  far  as  in  his  power,  and  billiards  with 
frequent  drinks  for  the  lawyer  and  a  liberal  supply  of  water 
for  the  detective,  were  in  order  until  within  a  half  hour 
of  the  eastern  bound  train  lime,  when  La  Grange  succumbed 
to  an  accumulation  of  good-fellowship,  and  on  his  own  sug- 
gestion, as  he  "wash  rising  y'n'^  'torny  y'know  !  "  accepted 
the  hospitalities  of  my  son's  room,  at  the  Rawlins  House, 
where  he  left  him  sweetly  sleeping  at  a  rate  which  would 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  235 

prevent  the  mailing  of  the  letters  he  had  left  locked  in  his 
office  for  at  least  two  days  to  come;  as  "rising  young 
attorneys,"  as  a  rule  sober  off  in  a  carefully  graduated 
diminishing  scale  of  excesses  of  quite  similar  construction 
to  the  original. 

On  the  arrival  of  my  son  in  Chicago,  I  immediately 
caused  to  be  written  a  letter  addressed  to  Miss  Lizzie 
Taylor  at  her  post-office  box  in  Philadelphia,  of  which  the 
following  is  a  copy  : 

"  SHERMAN  HOUSE  CHICAGO,  Jan.  1868. 

"Miss.  TAYLOR, 

"My  DEAR  FRIEND  : — You  know  of  my  intended  absence 
from  Cheyenne  in  the  South.  During  that  trip,  I  really  never 
had  the  time  when  I  could  write  you  so  fully  as  I  desired 
and  even  now  I  am  only  able  to  send  you  a  few  words.  I 
am  en  route  to  Washington  on  business,  and  have  now  to 
ask  you  to  send  the  street  and  number  of  your  father's 
house,  even  if  it  is  not  a  magnificent  one,  as  you  have  told 
me,  to  my  address,  at  the  Girard  House,  in  your  city,  on  re- 
ceipt of  this  ;  as  I  shall  be  in  Washington  but  one  day,  and 
would  wish  to  see  both  you  and  your  people  without  delay. 
I  not  only  greatly  wish  to  see  you  for  selfish  reasons, 
which  our  long  and  pleasant  correspondence  will  suggest 
to  you  as  both  reasonable  and  natural,  but  there  are  .other 
good,  reasons,  which  you  all  will  readily  understand  when  I 
tell  you  that*  I  met  him  accidentally  just  before  my  return 
to  Cheyenne,  and  that  I  have  a  communication  of  a  personal 


2:56  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

nature  to  deliver.  While  not  upholding  him  in  the  step  he 
has  taken,  I  cannot  forget  that  I  am  his  friend,  and  he,  yoiu 
brother. 

"  In  great  haste 

"Your  true  friend 

"  ADOLPH  LA  G " 

P.  S. — I  leave  here  for  the  East  this  morning.  Please 
answer  on  immediate  receipt. 

A.  L. 

This  was  posted  on  the  eastern-bound  train  not  an  hour 
after  my,  son's  arrival  from  the  West ;  and  another  note  was 
written  upon  the  back  of  an  envelope  which  had  passed 
through  the  mail,  and  had  got  a  very  much  used  appear- 
ance, and  ran  thus  : 

"  FATHER  OF  LIZZIE  : 

"  Treat  Adolph  well,  you  can  trust  him.  Give  him  one 
of  the  'photos'  taken  at  Atlanta  in  my  full-dress  uniform; 
keep  one  other  of  the  same  for  yourselves  ;  but  destroy  all 
the  rest.  Have  been  so  hurried  and  worried  that  I  don't 
remember  whether  I  have  said  anything  about  photographs 
before.  But  this  is  a  matter  of  imperative  necessity. 
Adolph  will  explain  how  he  met  me. 

"  Good  bye, 

"  H ." 

It  was  impossible  to  detect  any  difference  between  this 
Handwriting  and  that  of  Captain  Taylor's  in  his  business  cor- 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  237 

respondence  to  Kuhn  Brothers ;  and,  armed  with  this  docu- 
ment, with  the  assistance  of  the  epistolary  self-introduction 
which  had  preceded  it,  1  directed  my  son  to  leave  for  Phila- 
delphia that  evening,  secure  admission  to  Taylor's  residence, 
and  the  family's  confidence,  agreeable  to  the  appointment 
made  by  mail,  and  thus  not  only  secure  the  man's  photo" 
graph,  but  other  information  that  would  be  definite. 

On  arrival  at  Philadelphia,  he  secured  the  services  of  an 
operative,  from  my  agency  in  that  city,  to  follow  any  member 
of  the  Taylor  family  who  might  call  for  the  letter,  to  their 
residence,  in  the  event  of  an  answer  not  being  received  at 
his  hotel  in  due  time  from  the  one  assumed  to  have  been 
sent  from  the  hotel  in  Chicago  from  La  Grange,  who  found 
Taylor's  home,  an  unpretentious  house  on  Locust  Street, 
while  my  son  remained  at  the  hotel,  fully  expecting  the  cov- 
eted invitation  to  visit  the  Captain's  beautiful  sister,  which 
arrived  at  his  hotel  only  a  half  day  after  he  did,  and  strongly 
urged  him  to«call  at  his  convenience. 

He  was  satisfied  from  this  that  our  theory  regarding  his 
being  in  Texas,  or  Mexico,  was  correct,  that  the  family  had 
not  the  slightest  suspicion  of  his  identity,  and  that,  wherever 
Captain  Taylor  might  be,  communication  with  his  people 
had  been  very  infrequent,  and  that,  with  what  he  would  be 
able  to  invent  after  being  received  at  Taylor's  house,  he 
could  secure  at  least  sufficient  information  to  put  him  upon 
his  son's  trail.  Not  desiring  to  play  upon  their  feelings  and 
friendship  as  another  person  any  longer  than  necessary, 
however ;  and  he  sent  word  by  a  messenger,  not  daring  to 
trust  his  own  handwriting,  that  he  would  call  that  evening, 


238  THE  HARD  LIFE   OF   THE  DETECTIVE. 

though  necessarily  at  a  late  hour ;  and,  accordingly, 
evening,  about  nine  o'clock,  found  him   at  the  door  of  a 
pleasant  Locust  street  cottage,  ringing  for  admission. 

A  tall,  handsome  young  woman  greeted  him  at  the  door, 
and  accordingly  bade  him  enter,  saying  pleasantly,  as  ohe 
ushered  him  into  the  cozy  little  parlor,  that  she  was  Miss 
Lizzie  Taylor,  and  presumed  he  was  Mr.  La  Grange,  with 
whom  she  had  had  so  long  and  so  pleasant  a  correspond- 
ence ;  and  of  whom  "  poor  Harry,"  as  she  said  with  a 
shade  of  sadness  and  tenderness  in  her  voice, _had  so  often, 
written,  before  he  had  made  his  terrible  mistake,  and  be- 
come a  wanderer. 

After  hastily  satisfying  her  that  he  was  the  genuine  La 
Grange,  and  profusely  apologizing  for  his  not  having  written 
for  so  long  a  time  previous  to  his  arrival  at  Chicago,  from 
Cheyenne,  he  took  up  the  thread  she  had  dropped,  as  quickly 
as  possible,  and  said  that  he  felt  sure  that  Harry  would  re- 
trieve himself  soon,  and  return  the  money,  as  toe  had  no  bad 
habits,  and  everything  'would  be  all  right  again. 

"  Hut,  yet,  Mr.  La  Grange,"  she  continued,  "  it  makes  me 
shudder  whenever  I  think  of  all  my  brothers  being  away 
off  there  on  the  Rio  Grande,  among  those  terrible  people  !" 

"  Hut,,  you  must  remember,"  he  replied,  encouragingly, 
"  they  are  strong  men,  and  can  well  defend  themselves 
under  any  circumstances." 

"  Harry  is  strong  and  brave,  I  know,"  answered  Miss 
Taylor,  rather  admiringly  ;  "  but  brother  Robert  is  not  fit 
for  such  a  life.  Why,  he  is  but  a  boy  yet." 

"Ah,  a  younger  brother?"  he  thought,  making  a  menta] 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  239 

r^te  of  it,  in  order  to  assist  in  shaping  his  conversation, 
after  which  he  said  aloud :  "  I  almost  forgot  to  give  you 
this  note  ;  "  and  he  took  the  piece  of  envelope  out  of  his 
note  book,  as  if  it  had  been  sacredly  guarded,  and  handed  it 
to  her. 

Miss  Taylor  read  the  hastily  written  lines  with  evident 
emotion  ;  and  after  studying  a  moment,  as  if  endeavoring  to 
reconcile  matters,  while  her  face  was  being  searchingly  read 
by  an  experienced  detective,  she  rose,  and,  apologizing  to 
him  for  the  absence  of  her  father,  who  was  in  New  York,  on 
business,  and  of  her  mother,  who  was  confined  to  her 
apartment  a  confirmed  invalid,  she  asked  to  be  excused  so 
as  to  show  the  note  to  her  mother. 

The  instant  the  door  closed,  my  son  had  seized  the  al- 
bum which  he  had  located  during  the  preceding  conversa- 
tion, and  rapidly  turned  its  leaves  to  assure  himself  that  he 
was  not  treading  on  dangerous  ground.  He  found  a  half- 
a-dozen  different  styles  of  pictures  of  the  captain,  including 
three  of  the  copies  taken  in  Philadelphia  of  the  original  At- 
lanta picture,  and  felt  reassured  beyond  measure  at  the 
lucky  turn  things  had  taken.  He  would  have  abstracted 
one  of  these,  but  it  was  impossible,  and  had  barely  time  to 
return  the  album  to  the  table,  and  himself  to  his  seat,  when 
he  heard  the  woman's  step  along  the  hall,  and  in  a  moment 
more,  she  entered  the  room. 


240  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 


CHAPTER  III. 

GIVING  the  door  a  little  impulsive  slam,  as  she  closed 
it,  Miss  Taylor  at  once  came  to  where  my  son  was 
silting  upon  the  sofa,  and  seated  herself  beside  him.  She 
said  that  her  mother  was  anxious  beyond  -measure  to 
learn  how  and  where  he  had  met  Harry,  how  he  was  look- 
ing, and  what  he  had  said. 

The  imagination  and  resources  of  the  able  detective  are 
fully  equal  to  those  of  the  most  brilliant  newspaper  report- 
ers, and  a  pleasant  and  plausible  fiction  was  invented,  how 
he  (as  La  Grange,  of  course,)  having  taken  a  run  from.Louis- 
vilFe  down  to  New  Orleans,  by  boat,  was  just  landing  at  the 
levee  when  he  suddenly  came  across  Harry,  who  had  hasti- 
ly told  him  all ;  how  great  had  been  his  transgression,  how 
deeply  he  had  regretted  it;  but  that  now  he  was  situated  in  his 
business  matters,  so  that  if  let  alone,  he  would  be  able  to 
return  to  Kuhn  &  Brothers  every  dollar  which  he  had  taken, 
and  have  a  line  business  left ;  how  it  had  been  necessary 
for  him  to  come  to  New  Orleans  on  imperative  business, 
and  that  he  should  not  come  east  of  the  Mississippi  again 
under  any  circumstances.  He  further  said,  that  Harry 
seemed  hopeful;  that  he  had  stated  that  his  younger  brother, 
Robert  was  well  and  enjoying  the  frontier  life ;  and  that, 
further  than  that,  he  had  no  time  or  disposition  to  talk,  as 


THE  HARD  LIFF    OF  -THE  DETECTIVE.        241 

%he  was  on  the  very  eve  of  departure  for  Texas,  only  having 
time  to  write  the  little  note  concerning  the  photographs. 

Miss  Taylor  excused  herself  for  a  moment  to  convey  the 
truthful  intelligence  to  her  anxious  mother ;  and  on  her  re- 
turn suggested  that  they  go  through  the  album  together  at 
once  and  attend  to  the  photographs,  an  invitation  which 
was  accepted  with  unusual  readiness. 

Every  gentleman  who  has  had  the  experience,  and  there 
are  few  who  have  not,  know  that  looking  over  an  album 
with  a  beautiful  woman  who  has  some  interest  in  her  com- 
panion, is  a  wonderfully  pleasant  diversion.  In  this  instance 
it  was  doubly  pleasant,  for  it  meant  success  to  my  son,  whose 
zeal  is  as  untiring  as  my  own  when  once  on  the  trail  of  a 
criminal. 

"  I  wonder  why,"  asked  Miss  Taylor,  as  if  wondering  as 
much  about  Mr.  La  Grange  as  about  any  other  subject ;  "  I 
wonder  why  Harry  desires  those  photographs  destroyed  ?  " 

He  was  turning  the  leaves  for  her  and,  as  La  Grange,  of 
course,  had  a  perfect  right  to  take  plenty  of  time  to  explain 
the  matter  soothingly  and  sympathetically. 

"  But  do  those  horrid  detectives  track  a  man  out  and  run 
him  down,  when,  if  he  were  let  alone,  he  might  recover  from 
his  misfortune  and  right  the  wrong  he.  has  done  ?  " 

Mr.  LaGrange  remarked  that  he  had  heard  that  some  of 
them  were  very  much  lacking  in  sentiment  and  sensibility, 
and  would  go  right  forward  through  the  very  fire  itself  to 
trace  the  whereabouts  of  a  criminal;  and  all  those  little 
things  helped,  he  could  assure  her. 

She  began  to  see  how  it  was,  she  said,  but  suddenly  firing 

II 


242         THE  HARD  LIFE    OF   THE  DEFECTIVE. 

up,  she  shook  her  pretty  fist  at  some  imaginary  person,  ex 
claiming  : 

"  Oh,  I  could  kill  the  man  who  would  thus  dog  my  brothe 
Harry."  And  then,  after  a  little  April  shower  of  tears,  quite 
like  any  other  woman's  way  of  showing  how  very  desperate 
they  can  be  under  certain  circumstances,  began  slowly  tak- 
ing the  Captain's  pictures  from  the  album,  commenting  upon 
them,  and  then  handing  them  to  the  bogus  La  Grange  to 
burn,  who  would  occasionally  step  to  the  fire-place  for  that 
purpose,  where  he  would  quickly  substitute  miscellaneous 
business  cards  which  answered  the  purpose  excellently. 

An  hour  or  two  was  passed  with  Miss  Taylor  in  conver- 
sation upon  various  topics  which  might  lead  the  really  es- 
timable young  lady  to  divulge  all  she  knew  about  the  Cap- 
tain, or  concerning  his  whereabouts  and  business,  which 
was  certainly  not  much. 

It  appeared  that,  immediately  after  the  embezzlement,  and 
while  at  St.  Louis,  Taylor  had  telegraphed  to  his  brother 
Robert  to  meet  him  at  New  Orleans  at  a  certain  time,  as  he, 
was  going  into  business  in  that  section,  and  should  need 
his  services  for  which  he  would  be  able  to  pay  him  hand- 
somely ;  the  brothers  had  met  there  and  had  proceeded  to 
some  other  point ;  the  captain  claiming  that  it  would  be 
injudicious  to  make  that  fact  known,  as  he  had  also  sent  a  full 
and  complete  confession  to  his  parents  regarding  his  em- 
bezzlement from  Kuhn  Bros.,  which  he  had  directed  them  to 
burn,  and  which  he  finished  by  requesting  his  family  not 
write  to  either  himself  or  his  brother  for  some  time  to  come  ; 
or  at  least  until  he  should  indicate  to  them  that  it  would  be 


THE  HARD  LIFE    OF   THE  DETECTIVE.         243 

safe  to  do  so  ;  and  under  no  circumstances  to  give  any  per- 
son an  iota  of  information  concerning  himself  or  his  brother. 

My  son  left  Miss  Taylor's  hospitable  home  with  a  pang  of 
regret  for  the  deception  which  had  seemed  necessary  in  this 
case  ;  for  whatever  may  be  the  opinion  of  the  public  regard- 
ing the  matter,  a  detective  has  often  quite  as  large  and 
compassionate  a  soul  as  men  of  other  and  apparently 
more  high  toned  professions. 

So  long  as  intelligent  crime  is  the  result  of  a  high  stan- 
dard of  mental  culture  and  a  low  standard  of  moral  con- 
science-— conditions  which  now  exist  and  have  for  some 
years  existed — intelligent  minds  must  be  trained  to  battle 
criminals  with  their  own  weapons  ;  and  these  two  questions 
of  speedy  detection  of  crime  and  swift  punishment  of  crim- 
inals will  be  found  quite  as  essential  to  a  preservation  of 
law  and  society  as  lofty  arguments  or  high  moral  disserta- 
tions on  the  right  or  wrong  of  the  expediencies  necessary  to 
bring  wrong-doers  to  immediate  and  certain  justice. 
•  As  soon  as  I  had  received  a  full  telegraphic  report  of  the 
success  of  the  Philadelphia  experiment,  I  directed  him  to 
proceed  to  Louisville,  where  he  would  be  met  by  Operative 
Keating,  from  Chicago,  who  would  bring  him  letters  of  in- 
troduction from  myself  to  Col.  Wood,  commanding  the  first 
Infantry  at  New  Orleans ;  Captain  White,  chief  of  the  De- 
tective force  of  that  city  ;  General  Canby,  commanding  the 
Department  of  Texas,  at  Austin  ;  Col.  Hunt,Chief  Quarter- 
master of  the  Department  of  Texas,  and  other  army  offi- 
cers, requesting  them  to  render  my  son  and  his  assistant 
any  aid  in  their  power,  should  the  necessity  for  such  assis- 


244  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETEC'IJCA. 

tance  arise,  the  requisition  from  Governor  Foulke,  ot 
Dakotah  Territory,  for  Henry  G.  Taylor,  upon  Governor 
Pease,  of  Texas,  and  general  instructions  concerning  his 
conduct  of  the  search  for  the  handsome  captain  after  he  had 
got  beyond  mail  and  telegraphic  communication. 

I  was  sending  him  into  a  country  which  was  at  that  time 
in  many  portions  utterly  unsafe  for  the  securing  of  a  crimi- 
nal should  the  pursuer's  mission  become  known  so  as  to 
allow  the  person  desired  time  to  apprise  his  friends  of  his 
danger,  or  give  him  even  an  opportunity  to  rally  any  num- 
ber of  acquaintances  for  defence ;  for  the  reason  that,  as 
Texas  had  become  a  sort  of  refuge  for  ruffians,  they  became 
clannish  through  the  general  peril  of  being  pursued  each 
experienced  ;  and  would,  as  a  rule,  on  the  slightest  provoca- 
tion, assist  in  the  rescue  of  any  person  under  arrest,  not 
knowing  how  soon  it  might  be  their  turn  to  cry  for  help  ; 
but  I  have  invariably  sent  my  sons  into  danger  with  the 
same  expectation  that  they  would  do  their  duty  regardless  of 
consequences,  as  I  have  had  when  sending  other  men's  sons 
into  danger.  Happily  I  have  never  mistaken  their  metal; 
and,  in  this  instance,  felt  sure  that  I  could  rely  upon  him  to 
exercise  both  discretion  and  intrepidity  in  exigencies  to 
which  his  long  experience  and  careful  training  have  at  all 
times  made  him  equal. 

The  two  detectives  met  in  Louisville,  and  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  New  Orleans,  where  they  arrived  early  in  the 
morning  of  the  yth  of  January,  1868,  and  were  driven  to  the 
St.  Charles  Hotel.  No  time  was  lost,  and  while  my  son 
presented  his  letters  to  different  parties,  and  made  cautious 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF   THE  DETECTIVE.          215 

inquiries  regarding  the  recent  appearance  in  New  Orleans 
of  Taylor,  Keating,  in  the  character  of  a  provincial  mer- 
chant, investigated  as  far  as  possible  the  business  houses 
dealing  in  stock,  leather,  or  wool,  as  to  whether  any  such 
person  had  made  arrangements  for  consignments  from  the 
interior  or  seaport  Texan  cities.  No  trace  of  their  man 
was  found,  however,  until  my  son  was  able  to  get  at  the  reg- 
ister of  the  St.  Charles  Hotel  for  the  preceding  three 
months,  which  was  attended  with  some  difficulty,  on  ac- 
count of  the  crowded  condition  of  things  at  that  house  ;  and 
any  detective,  or  other  expert,  will  understand  how  much 
time  and  patience  are  required  to  discover  one  signature 
from  among  ten  thousand,  when  that  one  may  be  an  as- 
sumed name,  and  perhaps  five  hundred  of  the  ten  thousand 
be  so  similar  to  the  one  sought,  that  a  disinterested  person 
could  scarcely  be  convinced  it  was  really  not  the  person's 
handwriting  desired ;  but  after  a  good  deal  of  trouble  and 
searching,  the  names  of  "  H.  G.  Taylor  &  clerk,"  were  dis- 
covered on  the  last  half  line  at  the  bottom  of  a  page  under 
date  of  November  3oth,  1867,  which,  by  constant  wear  and 
thumbing  in  turning  pages,  had  been  nearly  defaced,  but 
which  in  his  handwriting  beyond  a  doubt  told  the  story  of 
their  presence. 

Further  inquiry  of  the  clerk  on  duty  at  that  time,  and  with 
his  memory  refreshed  by  a  glance  at  Taylor's  photographs, 
developed  the  facts  that  he  had  certainly  been  at  the  St 
Charles  on  the  date  shown  by  the  register,  and  that  he  was 
accompanied  by  a  young  man  about  nineteen  years  of  age 
who  was  recognized  as  Taylor's  clerk. 


2!5          THE  HARD  LIFE   OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

The  peculiar  register  then  kept  at  the  St.  Charles  Hotel 
in  New  Orleans  was  also  instrumental  in  assisting  the  detec- 
tives. It  gave  the  guest's  name,  residence,  hour  of  arrival, 
and  hour  of  departure,  with  name  of  convayance  at  ar- 
rival and  departure  in  the  following  manner  : 

//.    G.     Taylor     and    Clerk,  \  Mobile,  \  12  m.  \  Fed.  \ 
2  Dec.  |  7  a.m.  \  'Bus. 

Tin's  told  anybody  curious  about  the  matter  that  H.  G. 
Taylor  and  clerk,  assuming  to  reside  in  Mobile,  arrived  at 
the  St.  Charles  Hotel,  New  Orleans,  at  noon  on  Saturday, 
the  thirtirth  day  November,  1867,  either  afoot  or  by  some 
mode  of  conveyance  unknown  to  theclerk  of  the  house 
and  that  they  left  the  house  in  an  omnibus  at  seven  'clock 
on  the  morning  of  the  third  day  following. 
Naturally  the  next  inquiries  were  directed  to  ascertaining 
to  what  boat  or  railroad  lines  omnibuses  could  be  ordered  at 
that  hour  of  the  morning  ;  if  to  different  ones,  then  to  dis- 
cover who  had  driven  the  particular  omnibus  which  con- 
veyed Taylor  and  his  brother  from  the  hotel  ;  and  then 
make  an  effort  to  learn  to  what  point  they  had  been  con- 
veyed. This,  however,  proved  less  difficult  than  had  been 
feared  ;  for  it  was  found  that  on  the  morning  in  question  the 
omnibus  had  gone  from  the  hotel  to  but  one  point,  and  that 
was  to  the  ferry  connecting  with  Berwick  Bay  route,  by  the 
New  Orleans  and  Opelousas  Railroad  and  the  Gulf,  to  Gal- 
veston,  although  a  large  number  of  passengers  had  been 


THE  HARD  LIFE    OF    THE  DETECTIVE.         247 

booked,  and  it  was  impossible  to  ascertain  whether  Tayloi 
and  his  brother  had  actually  gone  that  route  or  not,  though 
everything  was  in  favor  of  that  presumption. 

The  death  of  General  Rosseau  had  caused  quite  a  com- 
motion in  New  Orleans,  and  -it  seemed  a  pretty  hard 
matter  to  get  anything  further  of  a  definite  character  in  that 
place  ;  and  I  therefore  instructed  my  son  and  Detective 
Keating  to  proceed  slowly  to  Galveston,  stopping  at 
Brashear  City,  where  Taylor  might  have  diverged, — suypos- 
ing  he  had  taken  that  route  with  the  other  passengers 
from  New  Orleans, — and  to  particularly  search  passenger- 
lists  aboard  any  lines  of  boats,  and  all  hotel  registers,  before 
arriving  at  Galveston,  so  as  to  have  the  work  done  thoroughly 
nearest  the  base  of  operation  ;  as  I  knew  that  for  any  party 
to  get  on  the  wrong  scent  in  that  vast  State,  thinly  settled  as 
it  was,  with  no  means  of  quickly  conveying  needful  intelli- 
gence, was  to  enter  upon  both  a  needless  waste  of  money  for 
my  patrons,  and  an  objectless  and  wearying  struggle  against 
insurmountable  obstacles  for  my  detectives,  whom,  whatever 
may  be  said  to  the  contrary,  I  have  never  in  a  single 
instance  needlessly  or  injudiciously  exposed  to  privation  or 
danger. 

In  Brashear  the  conductors  of  trains  were  applied  to  ;  the 
hotel  and  omnibus  men  were  questioned,  the  postmaster 
was  appealed  to,  and  even  the  passenger-lists  of  the  boats 
which  had  been  in  port,  and  to  which  they  were  able  to 
gain  access  for  a  period  of  three  months,  had  been  searched 
in  vain.  Every  trace  of  the  man  seemed  lost ;  and  I  was 
appealed  to  for  a  decision  as  to  whether  they  should  proceed 


!M8         THE  HARD  LIFE    OF   THE  DTTECTIVE. 

to  Galveston  by  boat  with  the  presumption  that  Taylor  had 
taken  passage  under  an  assumed  name,  or  take  a  few  days' 
trip  up  along  the  line  of  the  New  Orleans  and  Opelousas 
Railroad  and  seek  for  information  of  their  man  at  different 
points  through  Central  Louisiana. 

J  decided  on  the  former  course,  and  they  accordingly  em- 
barked from  Brashear  immediately  after  the  receipt  of  my 
telegram  of  instructions,  on  the  handsome  steamer  Josephine, 
the  only  boat  whose  books  they  had  had  no  opportunity  of  ex- 
amining ;  and,  having  received  my  telegram  but  a  few  min- 
utes before  the  steamer  left,  were  obliged  to  do  some  lively 
running  to  reach  it ;  for,  in  anticipation  of  a  message  from 
me  to  take  that  route,  my  son  had  directed  Keating  to  settle 
the  hotel  bill,  and  with  both  valises  in  hand  wait  at  a  con- 
venient corner,  where,  should  Willliam  receive  a  dispatch 
from  me  of  the  character  expected,  within  a  certain  time, 
they  might  yet  make  the  boat.  Everything  transpiring  as 
my  son  had  hoped,  they  were  just  in  time,  after  a  lively  run, 
to  be  hauled  up  the  gang  plank  by  two  stalwart  negroes,  and 
were  soon  steaming  down  the  bay  and  thence  out  to  sea. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

AS  the  two  ascended  to  the  cabin  they  were  congratu- 
lated by  the  officers  of  the  boat  and  many  of  the  pas- 
sengers on  their  graceful  and  expeditious  boarding  of  the 
steamer  ;  and  being  something  of  objects  of  interest  on  ac- 
count of  the  little  incident,  they  concluded  not  to  lose  the 
opportunity  to  blend  the  good  feeling  evoked  into  a  thor- 
oughly pleasant  impression,  and  consequently  took  the 
shortest  way  to  accomplish  that  desired  end  by  at  once  walk- 
ing up  to  the  bar  where  the  assembled  gentlemen,  to  a  man, 
apparently  in  compliance  to  general  custom,  seemed  to  un- 
derstand that  they  had  been  invited  before  a  word  had  been 
uttered  by  either  of  the  detectives,  so  that  when  my  son 
asked,  "  Gentlemen,  won't  you  join  us?"  it  was  an  entirely 
superfluous  request ;  for  on  either  side  behind,  and  extending 
a  solid  phalanx  beyond,  the  "  gentlemen  "  had  already  joined 
and  were  describing  the  particular  liquor  that  in  their  minds 
would  do  honor  to  the  occasion  in  the  most  lively  and  famil- 
iar manner  possible,  and  interspersing  their  demands  upon 
the  leisurely  bar-keeper  with  such  remarks  as  "  Gen'lemen 
had  narrow  'scape  ; "  "  Gen'lemen  made  a  right  smart  run  of 
it;"  "Gen'lemen  not  down  from  Norlens  (New  Orleans), 
reckon  come  down  Opelousas  route,"  and  other  similar  com- 
ments ;  but  invariably  prefacing  each  and  every  remark  with 
n* 


250          THE  HARD  LIFE  OF   THE  DETECTIVE. 

the  stereotyped  word  "  Gen'lemen,"  which  men  were,  with- 
out exception,  assumed  to  be  in  that  country  at  that  time,  at 
least  in  conversation  ;  as  any  neglect  to  preface  a  remark 
with  the  word  laid  one  liable  to  become  immediately  engaged 
in  a  discussion  regarding  the  propriety  of  the  use  of  the  term, 
behind  navy  revolvers,  rifles,  double-barrelled  shot-guns,  or 
any  other  available  pointed  or  forcible  means  of  argument. 

After  the  thirst  of  the  crowd,  which  upon  a  Gulf-coasting 
steamer  is  something  terrible  to  contemplate,  had  been  in  a 
measure  assuaged,  my  son  excused  himself,  and  with  Keat- 
ing repaired  to  the  office,  remarking  to  the  clerk  : 

"  I  presume  you  would  like  to  transact  a  little  business 
with  us  now  ?  " 

"  Any  time  to  suit  your  convenience,"  returned  the  clerk, 
but  getting  at  his  books  with  an  alacrity  which  showed  that 
he  would  be  a  little  more  willing  to  attend  to  the  matter  of 
fares  then  than  at  any  other  time. 

William  handed  him  an  amount  of  money  large  enough 
to  pay  for  both  the  fares  of  himself  and  Keating  from 
Brashear  to  Galveston  ;  and,  while  the  clerk  was  making 
change,  said  by  way  of  getting  into  conversation  with  him, 
"  I'm  afraid  we're  on  a  fool's  errand  out  here." 

The  clerk  counted  out  the  change,  inked  his  pen  to  take 
the  names,  and  then  elevating  his  eyebrows,  although  not 
speaking  a  word,  plainly  asked,  "  Ah,  how's  that  ?" 

"Well,  you  see,"  replied  the  detective,  "we're  hunting  a 
man  that's  had  right  good  luck." 

"He  can't  be  in  these  parts,"  replied  the  clerk  with 
a  slightly  satirical  smile.  "  Names  ?  "  he  then  asked. 


THE  HARD  LIFE    OF  THE  DETECTIVE.          251 

"James  A.  Hicks  and  Patrick  Mallory." 

"Where  from?J) 

"  Pittsburg." 

'       "Which  is  which?"  asked  the  clerk  in  a  business  tone  of 
voice. 

"  I  am  Hicks,  and  that  pretty  smart-looking  Irishman  by 
the  baggage-room  is  Mallory,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Your  age  and  weight  ?  "  asked  the  clerk  mechanically, 
at  the  same  time  looking  at  my  son  keenly  and  getting  the 
rest  of  his  description  at  a  glance. 

These  questions  were  properly  answered  and  as  the 
clerk  was  noting  them  he  asked,  "  Might  I  ask  what  was  the 
gentleman's  good  luck  ?  " 

"  Certainly ;  he  has  fallen  heir  to  a  coal  mine  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  we  are  endeavoring  to  hunt  him  up  for  the 
executors  of  the  estate." 

"Ah  ?"  said  the  clerk,  driving  away  with  his  pen,  "  will 
you  be  so  good  as  to  ask  Mr.  Mallory  to  step  this  way  ?  " 

My  son  stepped  up  to  Keating  and  remarked  aloud, 
"  Mr.  Mallory,  Mr.  Mallory,  the  clerk  would  like  to  see 
you  ;  "  and  then  as  Keating  stepped  to  his  side,  remarked 
as  if  for  his  better  information,  "  He  knows  your  name  is 
Patrick  Mallory  and  that  we  are  from  Pittsburg,  hunting  Tay- 
lor, so  he  can  come  home  and  enjoy  the  property  the  old 
man  left  him  ;  but  he  wants  your  entire  description." 

"Quite.so  ;"  said  the  quick-witted  Irishman  dryly. 

"  You've  got  me  now,"  said  Keating,  winking  familiarly 
at  the  clerk,  "  when  we  came  over  we  went  under  ;  and  so 
many  of  us  was  lost  that  those  saved  wasn't  worth  niindm' 


252          THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

as  to  age,  ye  see ;  but  concerning  heft  why,  I'd  not  fear  to 
say  I'd  turn  an  honest  scale  at  a  hundred  an'  sixty." 

The  clerk  smiled  but  concluded  not  to  ask  Mr.  Mallory 
from  Pittsburg  any  more  questions. 

As  soon  as  he  had  made  his  notes,  however,  William  told 
him  that  he  had  examined  the  lists  of  all  other  boats  plying 
between  Brashear  and  Galveston,  save  those  of  the  Jose- 
phine, and  requested  him  to  look  through  them,  concluding 
by  describing  Taylor  and  stating  that  he  might  register 
either  as  H.  G.  Taylor  and  clerk,  or  under  an  assumed  name, 
as  he  was  somewhat  erratic,  and  through  family  troubles  not 
necessary  to  explain,  he  had  got  into  a  habit  of  occasionally 
travelling  incognito. 

The  clerk  readily  complied  with  his  request,  scanning  the 
pages  closely  and  repeating  the  name  musingly  as  if  en- 
deavoring to  recall  where  he  had  heard  it.  By  the  time  he 
had  got  on  with  the  examination  of  a  few  pages,  William 
had  selected  a  photograph  of  Taylor,  and  on  showing  it  to 
the  clerk  the  latter  seemed  to  have  a  certain  recollection  of 
having  seen  him,  but  a  very  uncertain  recollection  as.  to 
where,  or  under  what  circumstances.  He  went  on  repeat- 
ing the  name,  however,  turning  back  the  pages  with  his 
right  hand  and  tracing  the  names  back  and  forth  with  the 
index  finger  of  his  left  hand,  occasionally  looking  at  the 
photograph  as  if  to  assist  in  forcing  a  definite  recollection, 
but  without  any  result  for  so  long  a  time  that  Messrs.  Hill 
and  Mallory  of  Pittsburg  became  satisfied  that  their  last 
hope  before  arriving  at  Galveston  was  gone,  when  stuldemy 
(he  clerk  carelessly  placed  the  picture  beside  a  certain  name 


THE  HARD  LIFE    OF   THE  DETECTIVE.  253 

and  in  a  manner  very  similar  to  a  dry-goods  clerk  on 
securing  a  successful  "match,"  in  two  pieces  of  cloth, 
quietly  remarked  : 

"  Yes,  can't  be  mistaken.     There  you  are  ;  I've  got  him." 

"  Then  we've  got  him  !  "  exclaimed  my  son,  in  the  excess 
of  his  gratification  shaking  the  hand  of  Mr.  Mallory  from 
Pittsburg. 

^  It's  a  joy,"  said  the  latter  beaming. 

"Think  of  the  immense  property  !  "  continued  my  son. 

"  And  the  surprise  to  his  friends  !  "  murmured  Keating. 

"The  surprise  to  himself,  I  should  say,"  interrupted  the 
clerk. 

"  Quite  so,"  said  Mr,  Keating. 

It  appeared  that  Taylor  and  his  brother  had  missed  one 
or  two  boats  at  Brashear  from  some  cause,  but  had  finally 
taken  passage  on  the  Josephine,  November  seventh  ;  and  as 
the  detectives  had  not  been  able  to  ascertain  whether  the 
Josephine  had  carried  the  fugitives  or  not,  on  account  of  her 
being  belated  by  adverse  weather,  and  was  now  returning  to 
Galveston  after  having  had  barely  time  to  touch  at  Brashear, 
they  had  felt  that  perhaps  they  might  be  upon  the  wrong 
trail,  which,  with  unknown  adventures  before  them,  had 
been  peculiarly  discouraging ;  so  that  now,  when  they  ascer- 
tained that  his  apprehension  was  only  a  question  of  time 
and  careful  work,  they  could  not  repress  their  gratification. 

Nothing  further  worthy  of  note  transpired  on  the  voyage 
from  Brashear  to  Galveston,  save  that  the  trip  was  a  pretty 
rough  one,  and  they  finally  arrived  in  the  latter  city  hopeful 
and  encouraged,  notwithstanding  the  unusually  dismaf 


254  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

weather,  which  seemed  to  consist  of  one  disconnected  but 
never-ending  storm,  the  "  oldest  inhabitants  "  of  the  place 
contending  with  great  earnestness  that  "it  'peared  likes 
they'd  never  had  nothin'  like  it  befoah  !  " 

Arriving  in  Galveston  early  Sunday  morning,  they  went 
to  the  Exchange  Hotel,  and  after  breakfast  set  about  ex- 
amining the  hotel  registers  of  the  place,  ascertaining  that 
Taylor  and  brother  had  been  in  the  city,  stopped  a  dayT>r 
two,  and  then,  so  far  as  could  be  learned,  had  gone  on  to 
Houston.  They  were  satisfied  he  had  made  no  special 
efforts  to  cover  his  tracks,  although  he  had  not  made  him- 
self at  all  conspicuous,  as  the  difficulty  encountered  in  get- 
ting those  who  would  be  most  likely  to  recollect  him,  to 
recollect  him  at  all,  clearly  showed  ;  and  it  was  quite  evi- 
dent that  he  had  not  anticipated  pursuit,  at  least  of  any 
nature  which  he  could  not  easily  compromise,  and  intended 
going  into  some  legitimate  business  under  his  own  name  and 
with  his  brother's  assistance. 

Before  he  could  be  arrested  in  Texas,  however,  it  would 
be  necessary  to  secure  Governor  Pease's  warrant,  which 
obliged  a  long,  tedious  trip  to  Austin,  the  capital  of  the 
State  ;  nearly  the  whole  distance  having  to  be  done  by  stage, 
which  at  that  time  seemed  a  forbidding  piece  of  work,  as  it 
had  rained  every  day  of  the  year,  so  far ;  and  it  might  be  a 
question  of  helping  the  stage  through  rather  than  being 
helped  through  by  it.  Besides  this,  according  to  my  son's 
reports,  which  gave  a  true  description  of  things  in  Texas  at 
that  time,  everything  beyond  Houston  had  to  be  paid  for  in 
gold,  as  sectional  sentiment  and  counterfeiting  had  pro- 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  255 

nounced  a  ban  upon  greenbacks,  and  not  only  in  gold,  but 
at  exorbitant  prices ;  hotel  rates  being  five  dollars  per  day ; 
single  meals  from  one  to  two  dollars ;  railroad  fares  eight 
cents  per  mile,  and  stage  rates  nearly  double  that  amount ; 
with  no  assurance  that  you  would  ever  reach  a  destination 
you  had  paid  to  be  conveyed  to  ;  all  attended  by  various 
kinds  of  danger,  among  which  was  the  pleasant  reflection 
that  you  might  be  called  upon  at  any  time  to  contribute  to 
the,  benefit  of  that  noble  relic  of  chivalry,  the  Ku  Klux 
Klan,  who  at  that  day  were  particularly  busy  in  Texas. 

All  of  these  pleasant  considerations  made  the  departure 
from  Galveston  for  Austin,  in  a  Pickwickian  sense,  unusu- 
ally agreeable. 

At  Houston  they  discovered  from  different  persons,  in- 
cluding the  postmaster,  that  Taylor  had  been  there,  but  had 
made  inquiries  about  points  further  up  country ;  and  the 
general  impression  was  that  he  had  gone  on,  though  at 
Brenham,  the  terminus  of  the  railroad;  where  they  arrived 
Monday  evening,  they  could  find  no  trace  of  him. 

The  next  morning,  when  my  son  arose  and  looked  on  the 
vast  sea  of  mud, — a  filthy,  black  earth  below  ;  a  dirty,  black 
sky  above ;  with  nothing  but  driving  rain  and  wintry  gusts 
between  ;  while  the  lackadaisical  Texans  slouched  about  with 
their  hands  in  their  pockets,  with  only  energy  enough  to 
procure  tobacco  or  "  licker ;  "  their  sallow  faces,  down-at-the- 
heels,  snuff-dipping  wives  desolately  appearing  at  the  doors 
and  windows,  only  to  retire  again  with  a  woe-begone  expres- 
sion of  suspended  animation  in  their  leathery  faces, — he 
fullv  realized  the  force  of  the  remark  attributed  to  General 


256  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

Sheridan,  and  more  expressive  than  polite  :  "  If  I  owned 
Texas  and  hell,  I  would  live  in  hell  and  sell  Texas ! " 

The  stage  was  crowded,  however,  and  the  dreary  convey- 
ance splashed  and  crunched  on  until  noon,  when  dinner  was 
taken  at  Wilson's  Ranche,  a  long,  IOAV,  rambling,  tumble- 
down structure,  which,  like  its  owner,  who  had  at  one  time 
been  a  "General"  of  something,  and  now  retained  the 
thriving  title  out  of  compliment  to  his  departed  glory,  had 
gone  to  a  genteel  decay  with  a  lazy  ease  worthy  of  its  master's 
copy.  The  dinner  was  one  long  to  be  remembered  by  the 
detectives,  as  it  was  their  first  genuine  Texan  dinner,  and 
consisted  merely  of  fat  boiled  pork,  and  hot  bread  of  the  con 
sistence  of  putty  cakes  of  the  same  dimensions,  which,  when 
broken  open  after  a  mighty  effort,  disclosed  various  articles  of 
household  furniture,  such  as  clay  pipes,  old  knife  handles,  and 
various  other  invoices,  probably  playfully  dumped  into  the 
flour  barrel  by  some  one  of  the  half-score  of  tow-headed,  half- 
clad  children  which  the  "  General "  and  his  buxom  helpmeet 
had  seen  fit  to  provide  for  torturing  another  generation  with 
rare  Texan  dinners  at  a  dollar  a  plate. 

It  was  an  all-day's  labor  getting  to  La  Grange,  but  thirty 
five  miles  from  Brenham,  where  they  arrived  at  ten  o'clock, 
tired  and  exhausted  from  the  day's  banging  about  in  the  stage 
and  out  of  it,  for  they  were  obliged  to  walk  many  times  in 
order  to  rest  the  jaded  horses  so  that  they  could  get  through 
to  La  Grange  at  all ;  but  before  retiring  made  all  the  inquires 
necessary  to  develop  the  fact  that  their  man  had  not  been 
at  that  point. 

The  next  day,  Wednesday,  was  rather  more  trying  than 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  251 

the  previous  one.  T\vo  miles  out  of  town  the  stage  got 
"  bogged,"  and  the  entire  load  of  passengers  were  obliged  to 
get  out  and  walk  through  three  miles  of  swamps,  the  stage 
finally  sticking  fast,  necessitating  prying  it  out  with  rails. 
After  this  Slough  of  Despond  was  passed,  the  Colorado  river 
had  to  be  forded  three  times,  and  then  came  a  "  dry  run," 
which  now,  with  every  other  ravine  or  depression,  had  be- 
came a  "wet  run,"  and  was  "a  booming"  as  the  drunken 
driver  termed  it  between  oaths.  There  was  at  least  four 
feet  of  water  in  the  dry  run,  and  the  horses  balking,  the  buck- 
skin argument  was  applied  to  them  so  forcibly  that  they  gave 
a  sudden  start  and  broke  the  pole  off  short,  which  further 
complicated  matters.  My  son,  being  on  the  box,  sprang  to 
the  assistance  of  the  driver,  and  stepping  down  upon  the 
stub  of  the  pole,  quickly  unhitched  the  wheel  horses,  so  that 
the  stage  could  not  be  overturned,  and  then  disengaged 
the  head  team,  finally  appropriating  a  heavy  wheel  horse, 
with  which  he  rode  back  to  Keating,  who  was  perched  upon 
a  rear  wheel  to  keep  out  of  the  water,  which  was  rushing  and 
seething 'below,  sweeping  through  the  bottom  of  the  stage 
and  at  every  moment  seeming  to  have  lifted  the  vehicle  pre- 
paratory to  sweeping  it  avay  like  feathers,  and  also  holding 
on  to  the  baggage  which  he  had  got  safely  upon  the  roof  of 
the  stage  ;  and,  taking  him  aboard  his  improvised  ferry,  after 
securing  the  valises,  rode  to  the  muddy  shore,  forming  with 
his  companions  about  as  fine  a  picture  of  despairing  "  carpet 
baggers  "  as  the  South  has  ever  on  any  occasion  been  able 
to  produce.  The  bedraggled  passengers  ascertained  that 
the  next  town,  Webberville,  was  several  miles  distant,  and 


258  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

that  there  was  no  house  nearer,  save  on  the  other  side  of 
the  rapidly  rising  stream  ;  and  as  night  had  come  on,  the 
best  thing  that  could  be  done  was  to  penetrate  the  woods, 
build  a  rousing  fire,  and  shiver  and  shiver  through  as  long, 
wet,  and  weary  a  night  as  was  ever  experienced. 

There  was  never  a  more  longed-for  morning  than  the  next 
one,  and  the  moment  that  the  sickly  light  came  feebly 
through  the  mist  and  rain,  and  straggled  into  the  dense  cot- 
ton-wood trees,  where  the  discouraged  passengers  had  a  sort 
of  fervent  out-doors  prayer-meeting,  they  started  forward 
for  Webberville,  hungry,  drenched,  and  so  benumbed  as  to 
be  scarcely  able  to  walk.  It  was  five  miles  into  town,  but 
one  mile  of  that  distance  stretched  over  a  quagmire  known 
•and  described  in  that  section  as  "Hell's  half  acre;"  and 
the  truthful  inhabitants  of  VVebberville  related  of  this  delec- 
table ground  that  during  the^ rainy  season  its  powers  of  ab- 
sorption were  so  great  that  it  would  even  retain  the  gigantic 
Texan  mosquito,  should  it  happen  to  take  a  seat  there. 

This  bog  was  impassable  to  the  travellers,  who  finally  bar- 
tered with  the  owner  of  a  hog  wagon  to  be  carried-  over  the 
marsh  for  a  silver  half  dollar  each.  This  was  far  better 
than  remaining  on  the  other  side,  and  they  finally  trudged 
into  the  town  more  dead  than  alive. 

Fortunately  for  the  detectives,  the  brother  of  ex- Governor 
Lubbock,  of  Texas,  was  one  of  the  party,  and  as  they  had 
all  become  so  thoroughly  acquainted,  as  common  misery 
will  quickly  make  travellers,  he  took  my  son  and  Keating  to 
the  residence  of  Colonel  Banks,  a  merchant  of  Webberville, 
whose  good  wife  never  rested  until  she  had  provided  the 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  259 

party  with  a  splendid  meal,  something  with  which  to  wash 
it  down,  and  beds  which  seemed  to  them  all  to  have  been 
composed  of  down. 

After  they  had  a  good  rest,  the  passengers  for  Austin 
were  got  together,  and  explained  the  situation  of  things. 
The  creek  the  other  side  of  Webberville  was  a  mighty  river. 
The  driver  thought  he  could  possibly  get  the  stage  across, 
but  was  certain  he  could  not  do  so  with  any  passengers  or 
baggage  to  makelt  drag  more  heavily ;  but  he  thought  that 
if  once  on  the  other  side,  they  might  get  to  Austin  the  same 
day.  William  was  anxious  to  push  ahead,  and  looking 
about  town  discovered  a  rather  venturesome  negro  who 
owned  a  monstrous  mule,  and  at  once  entered  into  negotia- 
tions with  him  for  the  transfer  of  the  party  and  baggage, 
sink  or  swim.  So  when  the  stage  arrived  at  the  creek,  the 
baggage  was  unloaded,  and  the  stage  successfully  forded  the 
stream.  But  as  the  water  covered  so  broad  an  expanse, 
was  so  deep  and  rapid,  and  altogether  presented  such  a  for- 
bidding appearance,  the  passengers  refused  to  try  the  mule 
experiment  unless  William,  who  had  proposed  the  mode  of 
transfer,  and  had  secured  the  novel  ferry,  which  stood  with 
the  grinning  negro  upon  its  back  ready  for  passengers, 
would  first  cross  the  Rubicon  to  demonstrate  the  conve- 
nience and  safety  of  the  passage.  So  handing  the  captain 
one  of  the  valises,  he  mounted  the  mule,  which,  after  a  few 
whirls,  a  little  "  bucking,"  several  suspicious  sidewise  move- 
ments, and  a  shouted  "  Ya-a-oop,  da,  Dani-el  ! — done  quit 
dis  heyah  foolishness  ! "  plunged  into  the  current  without 
further  ceremony. 


2(iO  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

The  passengers  saw  that  Dani-el  and  his  master  were 
up  to  a  thing  or  two  in  that  section  of  the  country  ;  and  after 
seeing  Keating  cross  the  stream  in  safety  also,  they  one  by 
one  ventured  upon  the  transfer)  which  was  finished  without 
accident,  but  with  a  good  deal  of  merriment;  and  the  col- 
ored clown  paid  even  beyond  his  contract  price,  the  stage 
was  enabled  to  go  lumbering  on  to  Austin,  where  it  arrived 
at  a  late  hour  of  the  same  day. 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  2G1 


CHAPTER    V. 

RAIN,  drizzle,  and  mist;  mist,  drizzle,  and  rain.  It 
seemed  all  that  the  country  was  capable  of  producing ; 
and  the  same  preface  to  the  befogged  condition  of  the 
English  chancery  courts  used  by  Dickens,  in  his  introduction 
to  "  Bleak  House,"  with  a  few  of  the  localisms  expunged, 
would  have  fitly  applied  to  the  condition  of  things  in  Texas, 
which  afterward  culminated  in  a  flood  which  swept  every- 
thing before  it. 

In  Austin — though  the  seat  of  the  State  government  and 
the  head-quarters  of  the  military  department  of  Texas,  full 
of  legislators,  lobbyists,  officers,  and  soldiers,  everything 
had  the  appearance  of  having  been  through  a  washing  that 
had  lasted  an  age,  and  had  been  prematurely  wrung  out 
to  dry,  but  had  been  caught  on  the  lines  by  an  eternal 
rainy  day.  Involuntarily,  with  the  spatters  and  dashes  of 
rain  and  the  morning  wind,  Longfellow's  "Rainy  Day"  came 
drifting  into  the  mind,  and  the  lines  : 

"  The  day  is  cold  and  dark  and  dreary ; 
It  rains,  and  the  wind  is  never  weary ; 
The  vine  still  clings  to  the  mouldering  wall, 
While  at  every  gust  the  dead  leaves  fall. 
And  the  day  is  dark  and  dreary  !  " 

were  never  more  appropriate   than  when  applied  to  any 


262  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

portion  of  Texas  during  the  months  of  January  and  Febru- 
ary, 1868. 

The  very  first  man  my  son  met  in  the  office  of  the  hotel, 
the  next  morning,  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  from 
Kesar  County,  who,  hearing  his  inquiries  of  the  clerk  con- 
cerning Taylor,  informed  him  that  he  had  been  introduced 
to  him  in  San  Antonio  a  few  weeks  previous  ;  that  he  was 
in  company  with  a  much  younger  man  whom  he  represent- 
ed as  his  brother,  and  that  he  had  ostensibly  come  to  San 
Antonio  to  make  some  inquiries  concerning  the  hide  and 
wool  trade  ;  but  whether  with  an  idea  of  settling  at  that 
point,  or  whether  he  could  yet  be  found  in  San  Antonio,  he 
was  unable  to  state. 

In  any  event  this  was  cheering  news ;  for  it  assured  my 
detectives  that  their  long  and  weary  search  would  not 
prove  unavailing  ;  and  William  directed  Keating  to  make 
himself  useful  about  the  different  hotels  and  hide  and  stock 
dealers, — as  it  is  a  detective's  business  to  work  all  the  time, 
and  the  slightest  cessation  of  vigilance  after  the  beginning 
of  an  operation  might  at  the  most  unexpected  moment  cause 
the  beginning  of  a  series  of  circumstances  eventually  per- 
mitting a  criminal's  escape — while  he  himself  sought  out  Gen- 
eral Potter  who  escorted  him  to  General  Canby's  head- 
quarters where  he  was  most  cordially  received,  and  not 
only  given  an  order  for  military  aid,  should  it  be  required, 
but  General  Canby  himself  went  with  him  to  the  Capitol 
and  introduced  him  to  Governor  Pease,  vouching  for  the 
reliability  of  any  statement  made  in  connection  with  the 
business  which  had  brought  him  so  far  from  home  ;  as, 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  263 

while  I  had  charge  of  the  secret  service  of  the  Govern 
ment,  during  the  war,  with  myself  and  sons  had  had  an  in 
timate  acquaintance  with,  and  personal  friendship  for 
him. 

Governor  Pease  frankly  stated  to  William  that  the  affi- 
davits were  rather  weak,  and  that  should  some  of  the 
"  shysters "  of  that  State  who  did  a  thriving  business  in 
habeas  corpus  releases,  get  an  inkling  of  his  business  and 
the  nature  of  the  papers,  they  might  give  him  a  deal  of 
trouble,  even  if  they  did  not  get  his  man  away  from  him 
eventually.  He  said  he  would  make  the  requisition  as 
strong  as  possible,  however,  and  expressed  his  hope  that 
the  reputation  for  ingenuity  in  devising  and  executing  ex- 
pedients possessed  by  Pinkerton's  men  would  be  more  than 
sustained  in  this  instance  ;  and  General  Canby  terminated 
the  interview  by  giving  the  document  approval  over  his 
own  signature. 

My  son  thanked  them  both  for  their  kindness,  and  with- 
drew, only  too  anxious  to  get  to  where  his  man  was  before 
any  information  that  he  was  being  sought  for  should  reach 
him,  and  either  scare  him  beyond  the  Rio  Grande,  or  ena- 
ble him  to  act  on  the  defensive,  as  only  a  man  can  act  who 
has  plenty  of  money,  plenty  of  friends,  and,  as  we  already 
knew,  a  great  plenty  of  bravery  on  his  own  account. 

Soon  after  he  had  returned  to  the  hotel,  Keating  came 
in  with  undoubted  information  that  Taylor  had  a  permanent 
residence  at  or  near  Corpus  Christi ;  that  either  he  or  his 
brother  owned  a  sheep  ranche  near  the  coast,  not  far  from 
that  city ;  while  the  other  dealt  in  hides  and  wool  there  ; 


264          THE  HARD  LIFE    OF    THE  DETECTIVE, 

and  that  one  or  the  other  penetrated  into  the  interior  as  far 
as  San  Antonio,  soliciting  consignments. 

My  son  at  once  concluded  that  it  was  the  Captain  who 
had  done  the  dealing,  as  well  as  stealing,  and  whose  money 
and  business  ability  had  been  brought  to  bear  upon  the  trad- 
ing at  Corpus  Chriisti,  and  upon  the  ranche  in  the  country 
near  it ;  the  brother,  though  probably  entirely  innocent  of 
complicity  in  the  robbery,  or  even  a  knowledge  of  the 
source  from  whence  the  money  had  come,  only  being  used 
for  a  convenient  repository  for  his  ill-gotten  funds  in  case 
of  Kuhn  Bros,  following  him  before  he  was  ready  to  meet 
them. 

He  therefore  decided  to  get  through  to  Corpus  Christi 
in  the  very  shortest  time  in  which  the  trip  could  be  made 

via  New  Braunfels,  San  Antonio,  Victoria,  and  Port  Lavaca, 

• 

hoping  that  he  might  be  able  to  pick  him  up  along  some 
portion  of  that  route,  as  it  was  quite  evident  he  made  fre- 
quent trips  in  that  direction  ;  and,  at  whatever  point  he 
might  be  started,  should  he  seem  to  be  going  much  farther 
into  the  interior, — which  would  be  improbable,  as  San  An- 
tonio at  that  time  was  quite  a  frontier  city, — arrest  him  at 
once,  and  hurry  him  back  to  Galveston  along  the  route  he 
was  already  familiar  with  ;  but,  should  he  be  going  toward 
the  coast,  to  let  him  take  his  own  course,  keeping  him  well 
in  hand  until  he  had  reached  Corpus  Christi  or  some  other 
seaport  city,  and,  waiting  a  favorable  opportunity,  arrest 
him  and  get  him  aboard  a  boat  before  he  could  recover  from 
the  surprise. 

Not  a  half  hour  b  ?fore  they  left  Austin,  he  fortunately 


THE  HARD  LIFE    OF   THE  DETECTIVE.         265 

met  Judge  Davis  of  Corpus  Christi,  who  was  there  attend- 
ing some  political  convention,  and  who  gave  him  a  letter  to 
his  law  partner  at  home,  should  his  services  in  any  way  be 
needed,  as  I  had  been  of  some  service  to  him  on  a  previous 
occasion  ;  so  that  when  my  two  detectives  left  Austin  on 
the  seventeenth  of  January,  they  felt  perfectly  satisfied  of 
ultimate  success,  though  the  same  terrible  experiences  as  to 
staging  were  again  encountered. 

It  required  the  entire  day  to  traverse  the  few  miles  be- 
tween Austin  and  Blanco  Creek,  where  they  secured  a  sort 
of  a  supper  ;  the  Onion  Creek  and  its  branches  having  been 
waded  and  forded  numberless  times.  At  Manchell  Springs, 
the  stage  pole  being  again  broken,  they  were  only  able  to 
proceed  after  improvising  a  tongue  out  of  a  sapling,  chopped 
from  the  roadside  with  a  very  dull  hatchet.  At  Blanco 
Springs  a  good  rest  was  taken,  and  the  driver,  having  the 
day's  experience  in  his  mind,  objected  to  going  further  that 
night;  but  the  detectives  insisted  that  they  had  paid  their 
money  to  be  taken  to  a  certain  destination,  and,  as  they 
had  shown  a  disposition  to  more  than  earn  their  passage 
besides,  no  excuse  for  their  detention  should  be  offered. 

After  a  good  deal  of  grumbling,  fresh  horses  were  got  out, 
a  new  pole  put  in  the  stage,  and  the  procession  again  took 
up  its  weary  march  over  the  then  most  horrible  of  roads, 
crossing  the  innumerable  brooks  and  runs  which  now 
pushed  torrents  into  York's  Creek.  All  night  long  they 
slushed  and  splashed,  and  tramped  and  cursed  ;  though  the 
the  rain  had  ceased  for  a  time,  there  was  but  little  light 

from  the  sky,  which  seemed  full  of  black  heavy  clouds  ready 
12 


2(56         THE  HAKD  LIFE    OF   THE  DETECTIVE. 

to  burst  asunder,  to  again  drench  them  and  swell  the  tor- 
rents  afresh.  My  son,  Keating,  and  a  man  sent  along  from 
Blanco  Cre.<jk,  "  took  turns,"  trudging  along  ahead  of  the 
lead-team,  and,  with  lanterns,  picked  out  the- way.  Often 
they  would  be  misled  where  the  ground  was  so  bad  as  to 
almost  defy  a  passage  over  it,  when  the  patient  animals 
behind  them,  steaming  from  the  toil  of  straining  along  with 
nothing  but  an  empty  coach,  would  stop,  as  if  guided  by  a 
keener  instinct,  where  they  would  quietly  remain  -until  the 
united  search  of  the  three  men  had  discovered  the  road, 
when  the  intelligent  creatures  docilely  plodded  along  again. 

And  so,  through  seemingly  bottomless  quagmires;  ovei 
corduroys,  where  the  shaky  ends  of  timbers,  struck  by  a 
horse's  hoof,  would  mercilessly  splash  those  walking  beside 
the  useless  vehicle,  or,  suddenly  relieved  from  the  weight  of 
the  ponderous  wheel,  would  fly  upwards  to  heave  gallons  of 
slime  upon  the  coach  ;  laboring  around  the  bases  of  far- 
extending  mounds  of  sandy  loam  ;  descending  into  unex- 
pected and  sometimes  dangerous  depressions,  along  coolies, 
and  plunging  into  streams,  where  drift,  and  changing,  sandy 
bottoms  always  made  it  a  question  whether  the  coach  could 
ever  be  got  across  ;  they  marched  only  as  Sherman  taught 
soldiers  to  march ;  or  as  honest  detectives  will  crowd  all 
obstacles  between  themselves  and  their  duty,  and  came 
with  the  gray  of  the  morning  to  the  beautiful,  forest-shaded 
Guadelupe. 

Fording  this  river  without  nearly  the  trouble  represented 
at  some  of  the  petty  runs  and  coolies  which  had  been 
passed,  they  came  to  New  Braunfels  with  the  sun,  which 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  267 

had  shown  itself  for  the  first  time  since  their  arrival  in 
Texas,  and  which  also  shone  upon  the  first  city  which  had 
shown  any  of  that  wide-awake  "go-aheaditi^ness"  and 
thrift  so  common  to  nearly  all  northern  cities. 

The  reason  that  New  Braunfels  differed  so  materially 
from  the  ordinary  Texan  towns  lay  in  the  fact  that  it  was 
almost  exclusively  settled  by  Germans  ;  and  it  was  a  wel- 
come sight  to  the  detectives  to  be  able  to  enter  a  place 
where,  from  suberb  to  centre,  up  and  down  long,  finely- 
shaded  avenues,  it  was  plain  to  be  seen  that  the  most  had 
been  made  of  everything. 

From  the  pleasantest  cottage  of  the  extreme  suburb,  and 
past  the  more  pretentious  residences, — every  home  bein^ 
provided  with  an  exterior  bake-oven,  the  same  as  in 
Germany,  Pennsylvania,  or  portions  of  Wisconsin  and 
Minnesota,  to  the  shops,  stores,  hotels,  and  public  buildings, 
every  yard,  in  many  instances  fenced  with  stone  gleaned 
and  cleaned  from  the  soil,  and  for  that  matter,  ever}'  spot 
upon  which  the  eye  rested,  showed  that  thrift  and  not 
whiskey-drinking  ruled  that  place  ;  and  that  fact  alone  en 
titles  the  little  German  city  to  respectable  elevation  from 
the  obscurity  which  has  heretofore  surrounded  it. 

As  nothing  at  this  point  could  be  learned  regarding 
Taylor,  though  leaving  the  town  and  its  extraordinary 
attractions  with  some  reluctance,  they  immediately  pro- 
ceeded to  San  Antonio,  the  roads  to  which  plac$  were  quite 
passable,  and  arrived  at  that  city  Friday  afternoon.  I  had 
telegraphed  to  Colonel  Lee,  of  San  Antonio,  to  hold  himself 
in  readiness  to  assist  my  son  and  -Keating,  on  the  score  of 


268  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

personal  friendship,  whenever  they  might  arrive  there,  net 
knowing,  from  the  terrible  condition  of  the  roads,  at  what 
time  it  woiAi  be  possible  for  them  to  reach  that  point,  and 
he,  being  ignorant  from  what  direction  they  might  come, 
where  they  might  stay,  or  under  what  name  they  might 
register,  had  caused  an  advertisement  to  be  inserted  in  the 
San  Antonio  Herald,  of  which  the  following  is  a  copy  : 

PERSONAL. — WHENEVER  THE  SON  OF  A.  P.,  of  Chicago,  may 
arrive  in  San  Antonio,  he  will  learn  of  something  to  his  advantage  by 
calling  upon  Lieut. -Col.  Lee,  at  the  Mengler  House. 

Keating' s  sharp  eyes  first  saw  the  item  at  the  supper  table 
of  the  Mengler  House,  where  they  were  stopping,  and  they 
both  learned  by  listening  to  the  conversation  about  them 
that  the  Colonel  was  sitting  at  the  same  table. 

After  supper  William  made  himself  known  to  Colonel 
Lee  without  attracting  attention,  the  latter  kindly  offer- 
ing him  any  help  needed,  after  which  inquiries  of  a  guarded 
character  were  instituted  for  the  object  of  their  search. 
The  landlord  of  the  Mengler  House  stated  that  Taylor 
had  called  upon  him  about  three  weeks  before  to  inquire 
for  letters,  but  as  he  was  stopping  elsewhere  but  little  at- 
tention had  been  paid  to  him  or  his  questions  ;  all  of  which 
William  had  reason  to  believe  absolutely  true  on  account 
of  the  strong  corroborative  testimony  which  would  lie  in  the 
statement  «f  any  landlord  that  no  civility  was  shown  to  a 
man  who  quarters  at  any  hostelry  save  his  own. 

The  next  morning  he  called  upon  Chief  of  Police,  H.  D. 
Bonnet,  who  extended  every  imaginable  courtesy,  went 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  269 

with  him  to  the  offices  of  the  different  stage-lines,  and 
assisted  in  examining  their  lists  for  some  time  previous  with 
a  view  to  ascertaining  \vhat  direction  Taylor  had  taken 
when  he  left  San  Antonio  ;  introduced  him  to  the  Mayor  and 
Chief  Marshal,  and  even  went  with  him  on  an  extended 
tour  through  the  old  Mexican  quarter  of  the  town  ;  but 
no  other  information  was  secured  save  through  the  German 
landlady  of  a  hotel,  who  was  as  positive  as  her  limited 
knowledge  of  the  English  language  would  allow  her  to  be, 
that  Taylor  had  stopped  at  her  house  without  registering  at 
all,  and  had  gone  directly  from  San  Antonio  to  Port  Lavaca 
or  Corpus  Christi  on  horseback,  which,  after  all,  in  the  ex- 
ceptional condition  of  the  weather  that  year  in  Texas, 
seemed  quite  probable. 

It  was  evident  nothing  was  to  be  gained  by  remain- 
ing any  longer  at  San  Antonio,  and  was  quite  as  plain  that  all 
possible  expedition  should  be  used  in  getting  on  to  the  coast. 

As  if  the  fates  were  ordained  perverse,  the  moment  the 
two  left  San  Antonio  a  steady  drenching  rain  again  began 
to  fall,  and  as  the  stage  was  crowded,  the  discomfort  of 
those  within  could  not  very  well  be  increased4  About 
twelve  miles  from  San  Antonio  the  driver  succeeded  in 
tipping  over  the  stage  and  giving  the  occupants  "  an 
elegant  mud  varnish  all  over,"  as  operative  Keating  aptly 
expressed  it.  The  driver  remarked  that  he  was  "going  up 
the  new  road,"  but  some  of  the  more  profane  passengers 
swore  that,  if  so,  he  was  hunting  it  three  feet  under  the  old 
one.  On  arriving  at  Lavernia  station  the  clisiral  announce- 
ment was  made  by  the  lean,  long  stage  agent,  who  seemed 


270  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

to  have  never  done  anything  from  time  immemorial  save 
sit  in  the  door  of  his  tumble-down  hovel  to  make  dismal 
announcement  that  "the  Cibolo  (pronounced  there  '  C'uil- 
lou ')  is  just  a  scootin'  and  a  rippin'  up  its  banks  like  a  mad 
buffler  bull !  ye'll  all  be  back  to  stay  at  my  taven  all  night." 
It  was  the  contemplation  of  this  man's  pure  cussedness, 
as  he  sat  there  doting  on  the  big  bills  he  would  charge 
when  the  Cibolo  should  drive  back  a  stage  load  of  hungry 
travellers,  that  nerved  them  to  push  on  and  at  all  hazards 
attempt  a  crossing  at  some  point  where  the  Cibolo  "  scooted 
and  ripped  up  its  banks"  with  less  ardor  than  across 
the  regular  route  to  Victoria  ;  but  on  reaching  Southerland 
Springs,  seven  miles  distant,  it  was  found  that  it  would 
be  necessary  to  wait  until  Thursday  morning,  when  they 
might  possibly  make  a  passage,  as  the  stream  was  running 
down  to  within  something  like  ordinary  bounds  very  fast. 

Thursday  afternoon  came  before  an  attempt  to  ford  the 
stream  was  made,  when  the  driver  agreed  to  land  the  pas. 
sengers  in  the  middle  of  the  stream  on  an  immense  fallen 
tree,  from  which  point  they  could  reach  the  other  side, 
when  the.y  might  be  able  to  get  the  empty  stage  across 
also. 

The  trial  was  made,  and  was  successful  so  far  as  landing 
the  passengers  was  concerned,  but  while  this  was  being 
done  the  wheels  of  the  coach  sank  deeper  and  deeper  into 
the  mucky  bed  of  the  stream,  and  though  but  a  few- 
minutes  had  elapsed,  the  strange  action  of  the  water"  had 
caused  deposits  to  form  about  the  coach  so  rapidly  that  it 
became  firmly  imbedded  and  could  not  be  moved  by  the 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  271 

four  horses  attached.  At  this  juncture  an  old  farmer  came 
along,  who  carried  the  evidences  of  some  of  his  propensi- 
ties strongly  marked  in  his  face,  which  was  a  thin  one,  like 
his  conscience,  but  with  bright  tips  on  his  cheek-bones  and 
as  red  a  nose  as  ever  the  devil-artist  in  alchohol  tipped 
with  crimson.  No  importunities,  or  amount  of  money 
could  prevail  on  him  to  assist  the  discouraged  travellers 
with  his  fine  mule  train  ;  but  a  pint  of  good  whiskey,  to  be 
delivered  the  moment  the  stage  had  been  drawn  from  its 
peril,  with  a  small  drink  by  way  of  retainer,  accomplished 
what  would  not  have  been  done  in  any  other  manner  and  set 
the  travellers  joyfully  on  their  way  again.  They  journeyed 
on  at  a  snail's  pace  until  one  o'clock  Friday  morning,  when 
they  arrived  at  Kelly's  Ranche,  kept  by  Bill  Kelly,  uncle  of 
the  "  Taylor  boys,"  notorious  for  their  connection  with  the 
Ku  Klux  and  various  other  gangs  of  villainous  desperadoes. 
The  family  were  unceremoniously  awakened,  and  at  once 
good  humoredly  proceeded  to  provide  the  ravenous  passen- 
gers with  something  to  eat ;  after  which  they  made  a  "  shake- 
down "  on  the  floor,  into  which  substitute  fora  bed  everybody 
turned  and  slept  late  into  the  morning,  awakening  stiff  in 
every  joint  arrd  scarcely  able  for  that  day's  journey,  which, 
with  its  complement  of  accidents  and  delays  took  them  safely 
over  Esteto  Creek  and  into  Yorktown  early  in  the  evening, 
where  the  detectives  secured  certain  information  that  Taylor 
had  been  in  Corpus  Christi  the  week  previous,  and  was  un 
doubtedly  there  at  that  time,  as  Texas  by  this  time  had  be- 
come a  net-work  of  resistless  streams,  almost  impassable 
quagmires  and  far-reaching  lagoons. 


CHAPTER   VI . 

LATE  the  next  morning  they  left  Yorktown,  having 
taken  on  a  passenger  of  no  less  importance  than  ex- 
Confederate  Governor  Owens,  of  Arizona.  He  was  a  pleas- 
ant, voluble  old  fellow,  and  my  son  at  once  fell  in  with  his 
ways,  and  treated  him  so  courteously  that  it  perhaps  averted 
a  greater  disaster  than  had  at  any  previous  time  occurred. 

Gov.  Owens  was  largely  engaged  in  the  Rio  Grande  trade 
of  supplying  frontier  points  with  provisions  and  merchandise, 
and  was  just  on  his  way  to  Indianola,  on  the  coast,  where  he 
was  to  meet  his  Mexican  freighters,  comprising  thirty  wagons 
and  carts,  of  all  characters  and  descriptions,  driven  by  the 
inevitable  lazy  greaser.  Even  as  late  as  the  same  period, 
1867-8,  a  vast  amount  of  freighting  was  done  between  St. 
Paul,  Minnesota,  and  Fort  Garry  Manitoba,  in  the  famed 
Red  River  carts,  driven  by  the  inevitable,  lazy  half-breed. 

William,  knowing  the  position  held  by  Gov.  Owens  dur- 
ing a  portion  of  the  war,  and  realizing  that  an  ex-office- 
holder will  never  lose  his  tenderness  for  the  political  regime 
which  made  him  titled,  assumed  to  be  a  Mississippian,  from 
Vicksburg,  with  an  Irish  acquaintance,  on  a  trip  of  inspec- 
tion through  Texas,  and,  so  far,  terribly  disappointed  with 
the  State. 

During  those  periods  when,  owing  to  the  depth  of  the 


N 

THE  HARD  LIFE  OF   THE  DETECTIVE.          273 

mud,  the  passengers  were  oblidged  to  walk,  they  would  fall 
behind  or  svalk  ahead  of  the  stage,  when  they  would  chat 
pleasantly  upon  general  subjects.  On  one  of  these  occas- 
ions Gov.  Owens  eyed  his  companion  sharply  a  moment, 
and  then  asked  : 

"  Can  I  trust  you,  sir?" 

"  Certainly." 

"  On  the  word  and  honor  of  a  gentleman  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  an  honest  man,  too,"  William  answered. 

"  I  believe  you  ;  thank  you.  You  know  stages  are  robbed 
out  this  way  ?  " 

"  I  do." 

"  Did  you  ever  see  it  done  ?  " 

"  No ;  nor  have  I  any  desire  to  be  around  on  such  an 
occasion,"  he  replied,  laughing. 

"  I  reckoned  you  hadn't  better,  either,"  said  the  Governoi 
earnestly.  "  It  wouldn't  make  so  much  difference  if  they 
would  do  the  work  a  trifle  genteelly,  in  a  gentlemanly  way  , 
but  the  fact  is,  we  have  low  fellows  along  our  Texas  stage 
lines.  They  have  no  regard  for  a  man's  family.  Why,  he 
continued,  warmly,  "  they'll  just  pop  out  from  behind  the 
trees,  or  up  through  some  clumps  of  bushes,  ram  a  double 
barreled  shot  gun,  loaded  to  the  muzzel  with  slugs  and 
things,  into  the  coach  from  both  sides  at  once,  and  just  blaze 
away — all  that  are  not  killed  outright  are  scared  to  death. 
There's  nothing  fair  about  it  !  " 

William  expressed  his  curiosity  to  know  if  the  drivers  were 
ever  killed. 

"Drivers?   Never,  sir,  never.    Why,  those  ruffians  are  too 

12* 


274  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

smart  for  that.  Let  it  be  known  that  they  have  begun  kill- 
ing drivers,  and  there  isn't  a  stage  company  in  Texas  that 
could  send  a  coach  past  the  first  timber.  They  couldn't 
afford  to  kill  stage-drivers,  for  the  moment  they  began  it,  that 
would  be  the  end  of  staging." 

My  son  expressed  his  thanks  at  learning  so  much  of  the 
business  principles  of  these  land  pirates,  and  the  old  gentle- 
man continued  : 

"  You  see,  it  takes  a  peculiar  kind  of  a  driver  for  a  Texas 
coach.  You  want  one,  first,  that  can  drink  right  smart 
of  whiskey,  for  the  water  isn't  good  along  some  of  these 
branches.  You  want  one  that  can  swear  a  hoss's  head 
square  off,  too.  He's  got  to  be  a  coward,  or  he  would 
help  put  this  robbing  down ;  and  yet,  he  has  got  to  be 
rather  brave  to  drive  right  along  up  to  a  spot  where  he 
knows  he  is  to  see  hisa passengers  butchered!  and  that," 
continued  the  Govenor,  earnestly,  "  is  just  what  I  want  to 
talk  to  you  about,  as  I  feel  sure  that  I  can  trust  you." 

The  Governor  then  explained  to  him  that  a  certain  mem- 
ber of  the  Ku-Klux,  whom  he  was  sorry  to  say  was  too  in- 
timate with  those  roadside  plunderers,  had  informed  him 
that  morning,  just  as  he  was  leaving  Yorktown,  that  pre- 
parations had  been  made  to  rob  their  stage  at  a  point 
between  Clinton  and  Mission  Valley;  and  that  he  very 
much  desired  some  organization  among  the  passengers 
for  defence,  as  he  himself  had  upwards  of  thirty  thousand 
dollars,  to  be  paid  out  at  Indianola,  for  goods,  and  to  his 
freighters  for  wages. 

On  the  receipt  of  this  alarming  intelligence,  my  son  took 


THE  HARD  LIFE   OF  THE  DETECTIVE.         27fj 

the   responsibility  of  informing  the  rest  of  the  passengers 
what  might  possibly  be  expected  ;  and,  as  Gov.  Owens  had 
six  fine  carbines,  which  he  was  also  taking  down  to  Indian 
ola  for  the  protection  of  his  freighters  on  the  Rio  Grande, 
preparatory  to  any  attack  that  might  be  made. 

About  six  miles  from  Mission  Valley  the  stage  route 
traversed  a  low  piece  of  bottom-lands  covered  with  timber, 
and  a  considerable  growth  of  underbrush.  A  corduroy  road 
had  been  built  through  the  place,  and  as  the  coach  was 
obliged  to  be  driven  slowly  across  it,  the  locality  offered 
particularly  fine  inducements  for  a  robbery  of  the  character 
described  by  the  Governor,  so  that  the  precaution  was 
taken  of  walking  along  with  the  coach,  three  on  either  side, 
with  carbines  ready  for  instant  use. 

Just  before  entering  the  timber,  two  men  were  seen 
prowling  about,  and,  evidently  fearing  their  actions  might 
cause  suspicion  and  frustrate  the  plan  they  had  in  view, 
made  a  great  effort  to  appear  to  be  two  respectable  hunters 
in  search  of  only  wild  game ;  and,  before  leaving  the  timber 
at  the  other  side,  two  more  persons  were  seen,  who,  evi- 
dently, not  having  been  given  any  signal,  had  come  as  near 
to  the  stage  as  they  dared,  to  ascertain  for  themselves  why 
their  comrades  had  failed  in  their  calculations  ;  but  skulked 
away  after  seeing  the  force  which  grimly  trudged  along, 
guarfling  the  empty  vehicle,  into  which  the  passengers  were 
glad  enough  to  climb  when  the  danger  was  gone  by,  and  be 
carried  with  sound  bodies  and  whole  pockets  to  the  supper 
which  had  been  some  time  in  waiting  when  they  reached 
Mission  Valley. 


276  THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

Dinner  the  next  day  was  taken  at  Victoria,  from  which 
city  William  and  Keating  expected  to  be  able  to  go  by  rail- 
road to  Port  Lavaca,  only  twenty-eight  miles  distant.  They 
were  doomed  to  disappointment  in  this,  as  the  railroad 
had  been  abandoned  since  the  war,  either  the  Union  or 
Confederate  soldiers  having  taken  it  up  bodily  and  turned 
it  upside  down,  like  a  gigantic  furrow,  from  Victoria  to  the 
sea. 

After  many  years  somebody  had  come  along  and  turned 
it  back  ;  but  to  this  day  the  steam-engine  has  never  thun- 
dered over  it  again,  the  most  that  has  ever  been  done  hav- 
ing been  to  drag  an  occasional  freight  car  over  the  road 
by  the  not  peculiarly  thrilling  application  of  mule  power ; 
and  so  it  was  said  a  hand-car,  worked  by  a  gang  of  negroes, 
was  used  for  transporting  passengers,  the  trips  being  made 
back  and  forth  whenever  a  load  could  be  got,  and  not 
before. 

As  they  were  obliged  to  remain  for  this  new  mode  of  con- 
veyance, their  time  was  entirely  unoccupied,  and  they  could 
not  but  have  leisure  to  make  something  of  a  study  ol 
Texan  life,  as  it  then  existed ;  and  on  Sunday  afternoon 
were  witnesses  to  one  of  those  little  episodes  which  some- 
times make  extremely  lively  certain  periods  that  would 
otherwise  remain  hum-drum  and  ordinary. 

The  bar-room  of  the  hotel  had  been  crowded  all  day,  and  a 
good  deal  of  liquor  had  been  drunk,  while  there  had  also  been 
a  large  amount  of  money  lost  and  won  over  cards,  so  that  there 
was  that  feverish,  explosive  condition  of  things  which  always 
follows  large  winnings  or  losses  at  games  of  chance,  although 


THE  HARD  LIFE   OF   THE  DETECTIVE.          277 

there  had  as  yet  been  no  disturbance  of  a  serious 
character. 

At  one  of  the  little  gaming  tables,  John  Foster,  County 
Clerk  of  Victoria  County,  and  another  person,  named  Le\1 
Phillips,  who  had  been  one  of  the  Andersonville  Prison- 
keepers  during  the  war,  but  had  drifted  out  to  Victoria  and 
had  secured  charge  of  a  large  livery-stable  there,  were  en- 
gaged at  a  game  of  poker,  when  Foster  was  heard  to  quietly 
say: 

"  See  here,  Lew  Phillips,  you  stole  that  card !  " 

"You're  a  liar  !  "  was  retorted  with  an  oath. 

The  two  men  were  up  over  the  card-table  in  a  twinkling, 
looking  at  each  other,  and  both  very  white. 

"Apologize!"  demanded  Foster,  still  quiet,  but  with  a 
terrible  earnestness  in  his  voice. 

"  I  don't  do  that  sort  of  business,  you  white-livered 
coward  ! "  shouted  Phillips. 

Without  another  look  or  word,  the  two  parted,  one  pass- 
ing out  one  door  and  the  other  out  of  another,  while  the 
crowd  in  the  hotel  canvassed  the  matter  as  coolly  as  though 
there  had  been  no  difficulty  worth  mentioning,  while  a  few 
quietly  laid  wagers  on  who  would  get  the  first  shot. 

In  about  fifteen  minutes  more,  Foster  was  seen  returning 
with  a  double  barrelled  shot-gun,  and  Phillips,  who  had 
a  wooden  leg,  came  stumping  up  another  street  with 
an  immense  navy  revolver  in  his  hand.  It  was  noticeable 
that  the  space  between  the  advancing  men  was  made  very 
clear,  so  that  nothing  should  interfere  with  their  sociability. 
In  a  moment  more,  Phillips  had  fired  at  Foster,  and 


278         THE  HARD  LIFE   OF   THE  DETECTIVE. 

evidently  hit  him  ;  for,  as  he  was  bringing  his  gun  to  his 
shoulder,  his  aim  had  been  badly  disturbed,  and  before  he 
had  time  to  fire,  Phillips  had  fired  again  and  wounded  hi? 
man  the  second  time.  Foster  now  leaned  against  a  porch 
column,  desperately  resolved  to  get  a  good  aim ; — his 
antagonist,  all  the  while  advancing,  attempted  to  fire  again, 
but  missed  this  time,  the  cap  refusing  to  communicate  the 
deadly  flash  to  the  chamber  of  the  revolver  ; — then  there 
was  a  blinding  flash  from  Foster's  gun,  accompanied  by  a 
thunderous  report,  and  the  two  men  fell  almost  instantane- 
ously. 

Foster  had  discharged  both  barrels  of  his  weapon,  heavily 
loaded  with  buck-shot,  at  Phillips,  the  entire  charge  hav- 
ing entered  his  wooden  leg,  and  sent  him  spinning  to 
the  ground,  like  the  sudden  jerk  and  whirl  of  a  nearly  spent 
top,  the  recoil  of  the  gun  also  "kicking"  Foster  flat  as  a 
Tennessee  "poor  whites"  corn  pone. 

The  "gentlemen"  who  had  been  looking  on  and -quietly 
criticising  the  little  by-play,  now  rushed  forward  and 
surrounded  the  combatants,  the  anxiety  of  each  of  whom 
was  to  be  assured  of  the  other's  death  ;  or,  in  case  of  his 
being  alive,  to  have  some  one  be  the  immediate  bearer  of 
tender  regards  and  profuse  expressions  of  friendship  ;  thus 
terminating  satisfactorily  to  all  parties  what  the  chivalrous 
inhabitants  of  Victoria  informed  my  detectives  was  called  a 
"  stag  duel,"  the  most  common  and  effective  method  known 
for  settling  the  little  difficulties  liable  at  any  time  to  occur 
among  gentlemen,  the  only  conditions  imposed  by  custom 
being  that  neither  party  shall  offer  to  shoot  in  a  crowded 


THE  HARD  LIFE    OF  THE  DETECTIVE,         279 

room,  or  be  allowed  to  fire  at  his  opponent  unless  he  is  also 
prepared,  when  other  citizens  who  may  be  usi^g  the  streets, 
at  those  times  withdraw  from  them  as  rapidly  as  consistent 
with  the  proprieties,  when  the  occasion  is  immediately  made 
interesting  to  the  participants,  who  advance  and  fire  upon 
each  other  as  rapidly  as  a  liberal  practice  in  this  and  other 
"  codes  "  of  taking  human  life,  will  permit. 

As  the  next  sensation  to  a  "stag  duel"  in  Victoria  was  the 
arrival  of  the  "  train "  from  Lavaca,  in  the  shape  of  the 
hand:car  manned  by  four  burly  negroes,  who  with  the  original 
superintendent  of  the  road  had  formed  a  soulless  corporation 
with,  which  nothing  could  compete,  it  was  not  long  before 
the  detectives  had  secured  seats  with  four  other  passengers, 
making  ten  persons  in  all,  to  be  conveyed  twenty-eight  miles 
on  a  broken-down  hand-car  over  probably  the  most 
villainous  excuse  for  a  railroad  ever  known. 

The  fare  was  six  dollars  in  gold  for  each  passenger,  which 
might  seem  to  have  a  shade  of  exorbitance  about  it  when  it 
was  considered  that  the  accommodations  consisted  of  two 
very  insecure  seats,  constructed  over  the  wheels,  upon 
each  of  which  three  persons  might  cling  with  a  constant  ex- 
pectation of  being  jolted  off  by  the  unevenness  of  the  road, 
or  of  falling  off  from  sheer  fatigue  in  endeavor  to  cling  to 
the  ramshackle  boards  beneath  them. 

"  All  abo'd ! "  shouted  the  negro  conductor,  with  all  the 
style  and  unction  of  the  diamond-pinned  aristocrat  of  a  New 
York  Central  Train ;  and  then,  as  the  "train"  started  out 
of  Victoria  the  passengers  and  the  admiring  lookers-on  were 
greeted  with  the  following  song,  turned  to  the  "  Ra-ta-tat" 


280         THE  HARD  LIFE   OF   THE  DETECTIVE. 

of  the  wheels  upon  the  rails,  and  sturdily  sung,  or  chanted 
rather,  by  the  jolly  but  powerful  crew : 

•     "  Heave  ho  ! 

Away  we  go 

Winds  may  wait  or  de  winds  may  blow  ! 
•  Heave  ho  ! 

Away  we  go 

For  to  cotch  de  gals  at  Lavac — o  1 " 

In  the  sense  that  this  mode  of  travelling  had  the  charm  of 
novelty,  and  the  thrilling  attraction  of  danger  combined,  it 
was  a  success.  There  was  freshness  and  variety  about  it 
too  ;  for,  whenever  one  of  the  negroes  had  "  done  gin  out," 
the  conductor  would  call  for  volunteers  from  among  the 
passengers  and  give  the  demand  a  peculiar  emphasis  by 
the  remark,  "Takes  brawn  'n  sinyew  to  pump  dis  hy'r  train 
into  'vacca  ;  'n  de'  Lo'd  never  did  make  no  men  out  o" 
cl'ar  iron'n  steel  !  " 

The  argument  was  so  forcible  that  some  one  would  work 
wirh  the  negroes  while  the  "  clean  done  gone  "  man  and 
brother  rested  and  meditated  upon  "catchin'  the  gals  of 
'vacca  ! "  which  the  song  brought  out  so  feelingly. 

Besides  this,  new  interest  would  be  added  to  the  excur- 
sion whenever  the  wind  was  favorable  ;  for,  stopping  the 
car,  a  mast,  to  which  a  sort  of  "  mutton-lig  sail,"  as  they 
termed  it,  would  be  attached  ;  the  conductor  would  brace 
himself  and  would  lengthen  or  shorten  the  sail  as  was  most 
judicious,  and  then  the  hand-car  ship  would  speed  along 
the  billowy  track  like  a  majestic  thing  of  life  for  a  mile  or 
two,  when  the  party  were  again  forced  into  a  reah/in?  sense 


THE  HARD   LIFE   OF   THE  DETECTIVE.        281 

of  the  plodding  nature  of  the  means  of  transit,  which,  aftel 
all,  at  times  became  monotonous. 

On  one  of  these  occasions  of  momentary  fair  sailing  and 
enthusiasm,  they  were  also  favored  with  a  down  grade  of 
quite  a  stretch  ;  and,  as  everybody  was  happy  at  the  won- 
derful rate  of  speed  acquired,  while  the  negroes  were  sing 
ing  snatches  of  songs  in  the  gayest  manner  possible,  a 
"  spread  "  of  the  track  let  the  car  upon  the  ties  from  which 
it  leaped  at  one  bound  into  the  swamp,  completely  immers- 
ing several  of  its  occupants  in  the  muddy  slime. 

No  damage  was  done,  however,  as  the  spot  where  every- 
thing and  everybody  alighted  was  too  soft  to  cause  anything 
to  be  broken  ;  and  after  righting  the  car,  and  repairing  the 
disaster  as  much  as  possible,  William  and  Keating  safely 
arrived  in  Lavaca  early  in  the  afternoon,  were  at  once 
driven  to  Indianola  where  they  cleaned  up,  including  a  most 
welcome  bathing  and  shaving,  at  the  Magnolia  House,  em- 
barked on  a  little  schooner  carrying  the  government  mail 
down  the  coast ;  were  becalmed  in  Aranzas  Bay,  and  late 
during  the  night  of  the  twenty-seventh  of  January,  the  light 
from  a  quaint  seaport  city  danced  along  the  waves  of  its 
beautiful  harbor,  and  welcomed  the  worn-out  but  indefati- 
gable detectives  to  Corpus  Christi. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

GOING  ashore,  the  two  proceeded  to  a  sort  of  hotel  or 
boarding-house  on  the  beach,  where  they  found  Judge 
Carpenter,  formerly  of  Chicago,  who  had  become  District 
Judge  there,  and  who,  on  learning  my  son's  name,  inquired 
if  he  were  not  a  relative  of  Allan  Pinkerton  the  detective. 

He  replied  that  he  was  very  distantly  related,  which  was 
a  literal  truth  at  that  time,  when  the  Judge  claiming  any 
acquaintance,  proffered  any  assistance  which  might  be  de- 
sired, whatever  his  business.  The  courtesy  was  courteously 
accepted,  but  no  questions  were  asked  concerning  Taylor. 

After  breakfast  the  next  morning,  they  strolled  up-town 
with  Judge  Carpenter,  when  passing  a  Mr.  Buckley's  store, 
Keating,  while  catching  step,  took  occasion  to  nudge  my 
son,  who  carelessly  'ooked  into  the  place,  as  any  stranger 
might,  and  there  saw  '.he  object  of  his  long  search  pleas- 
antly chatting  with  one  of  the  clerks ;  but  they  walked  on 
quietly  with  the  Judge  as  far  as  the  post-oftice,  when  he 
kindly  introduced  them  to  ano;her  Mr.  Taylor,  the  post- 
master. 

After  a  few  moments'  pleasant  conversation,  William 
asked  the  postmaster  if  he  could  direct  him  to  ex-Sheriff 
John  McLane's  residence.  It  proved  to  be  but  alalock  dis- 
tant, but  on  inquiring  there,  it  was  ascertained  that  he  was 


THE  HARD  LIFE   OF  THE  DETECTIVE.          283 

absent  at  his  store  farther  down-town.  He  was  the  only 
person  in  that  city,  besides  Keating,  whom  my  son  felt  that 
he  could  trust,  as  I  had  not  only  previously  rendered  him 
service,  but  also  held  him  in  the  light  of  a  friend  ;  and  he 
had  already  been  requested  by  me  to  render  him  any  service 
in  his  power,  should  William  pass  that  way,  so  that  he  knew 
the  first  thing  he  should  do  was  to  go  to  him,  explain  his  busi- 
ness fully  and  secure  his  immediate  advice  and  assistance. 

Finding  him,  he  told  him  that  he  did  not  feel  justified  in 
arresting  Taylor  unless  the  mail  boat  in  which  he  had  ar- 
rived was,  in  some  way,  detained  for  an  hour.  McLane  said 
he  would  attend  to  that,  and  brought  Captain  Reinhart  to  the 
store,  but  not  telling  him  why  the  delay  was  desired,  arranged 
or  the  same,  and  at  once  hunted  up  Sheriff  Benson,  to  whom 
my  son  delivered  the  warrant  and  demanded  the  prisoner. 

Benson  at  first  hesitated,  expressing  the  utmost  surprise, 
as  Taylor  was  a  fellow-boarder,  and  he  could  not  realize,  so 
he  said,  that  he  was  other  than  a  brave  and  chilvarous  gentle- 
man, and  began  to  question  the  validity  of  the  requisition,  but 
William  told  him  that  there  was  the  order  of  Governor  Pease 
approved  by  General  Canby,  and  that  he  did  not  propose  to 
be  dallied  with  or  imposed  upon  in  any  manner. 

Seeing  that  my  son  had  come  too  far  and  undergone  too 
many  hardships  to  be  trifled  with,  he  went  with  him  to  Buck- 
ley's store,  where  they  found  Taylor,  who  was  given  into  the 
detectives'  hands,  though  utterly  astounded  and  completely 
unnerved  at  the  idea  that  the  strong  hand  of  the  law  was 
upon  him. 

In  this  condition,  and  before  he  could  collect  his  scattered 


284          THE  HARD  LIFE  OF   THE  DETECTIVE. 

senses  and  decide  to  make  a  legal  resistance,  which  would 
have  caused  my  son  a  vast  amount  of  trouble,  if  indeed 
it  had  not  resulted  in  the  liberation  of  the  elegant  swin- 
dler, he  was  placed  on  board  the  schooner. 

After  they  had  left  Corpus  Christi  behind,  William  began 
a  system  of  soothing  argument,  with  the  end  in  view  of 
convincing  Taylor,  who  was  now  becoming  nervous  and 
restless,  and  evidently  ashamed  of  being  carried  away  so 
ingloriously,  that  it  would  be  the  best  thing  for  himself,  his 
brother,  and  even  his  people  in  Philadelphia,  to  go  along 
quietly,  without  creating  any  disturbance,  as,  should  he  do 
so,  he  would  treat  him  like  a  gentleman  in  every  instance  ; 
but  should  he  give  him  any  trouble  whatever  he  would  be 
obliged  to  put  him  in  irons,  and  not  only  treat  him  like  a 
criminal,  but  would  serve  him  roughly  in  every  particular. 

Taylor  saw  that  he  was  in  my  power,  and  that  I  had  put 
two  men  after  him  who  would  have  gone  to  Cape  Horn  for 
him,  and  that  his  only  chance  of  escape  lay  in  strategy. 

He  had  the  perfect  freedom  of  the  boat,  and,  when  he 
desired,  chatted  with  the  captain  and  the  crew,  who  were  not 
apprised  by  my  son  of  the  character  of  his  new  compan- 
ion, and  everything  was  done  to  make  him  comfortable. 

At  first  he  kept  entirely  to  himself,  but  of  a  sudden  his 
manner  changed  entirely,  and  he  became  particularly  pleas- 
ant, especially  to  the  captain  of  the  boat ;  and  as  they  were 
nearing  the  little  barren  Saluria  Island  at  the  entrance  to 
Matagorda  Bay,  William  accidentally  overheard  the  captain 
say  to  Taylor,  "The  tide  is  high  enough,  and  I  will  be  able 
to  run  close  to  the  island."  This  caused  him  to  have  nc 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.          285 

particular  suspicion  of  Taylor,  as  the  remark  might  equally 
apply  to  a  hundred  other  subjects  besides  the  one  to  which 
it  did  ;  but  in  a  few  moments  after,  he  noticed  the  schooner, 
which  had  hugged  the  island  pretty  closely,  now  suddenly 
take  a  still  closer  tack  and  rapidly  neared  the  barren  coast. 
Feeling  alarmed  lest  the  helmsman  was  not  attending  to 
his  duty  my  son  yelled : 

"  Captain,  what  under  heaven  do  you  mean  ?  Don't  you 
see  that  in  another  moment  you'll  have  us  beached  ?" 

He  had  scarcely  uttered  the  words  when  Taylor  was 
seen  to  spring  into  the  waves,  and  then  disappear,  and  the 
boat  at  the  same  moment  stood  off  from  the  island,  as  if  in 
obedience  to  the  warning  my  son  had  given. 

The  truth  flashed  into  his  mind  in  an  instant  :  Here, 
after  this  hard  unremitting  toil,  the  discomforts,  the  annoy- 
ances, the  dangers,  everything  through  which  they  had 
been  obliged  to  pass,  after  their  hopes  for  success,  and 
after  they  had  earned  it, — if  two  men  ever  had  earned  suc- 
cess, just  when  they  were  beginning  to  feel  the  pleasure  of 
work  well  done,  and  be  able  to  experience  the  genuine  sat- 
isfaction it  is  to  any  man  who  is  honest  enough  to  acknowl- 
edge it,  in  securing  the  regard  of  the  public  for  assisting  in 
its  protection,  the  commendation  of  one's  employer  for 
good  sturdy  care  for  his  interests,  and  the  self-respect  one 
gains  in  doing  one's  duty,  even  if  it  has  led  him  a  hard  life 
Of  it, — they  were  to  be  cheated  and  outwitted.  Half  crazed, 
my  son,  with  anger  and  indignation,  and  a  perfect  flood  of 
humiliating  thoughts  filled  his  brain  in  the  first  great  ques- 
tion, "What  was  to  be  done?" 


286    .        THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE, 

His  first  impulse  was  to  plunge  in  after  him,  and  in  pur. 
suance  of  that  impulse  he  had  freed  himself  of  hi:>  boots 
and  coat,  when,  seeing  Taylor  rise  to  the  surface  and 
make  but  little  headway  against  the  tide,  which  was  ebbing 
strongly,  he  called  to  the  captain  to  round  to,  and  began 
firing  with  considerable  rapidity,  so  as  to  strike  the  water 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  man  who  was  so  unsuccessfully 
struggling  against  the  tide,  but  whom  he  could  not  blame  foi 
making  so  brave  and  desperate  an  effort  to  free  himself. 

He  was  provided  with  two  magnificent  English  Trenter 
revolvers,  which  will  carry  a  half-ounce  ball  a  fourth  of  a  mile 
with  absolute  accuracy  ;  and  as  he  could  use  it  with  great 
precision  he  could  easily  have  killed  the  man  in  the  water. 
Both  the  captain  and  Taylor  were  terribly  scared,  and  as 
Taylor  held  up  his  hand  and  yelled,  "  I  surrender  !  "  the  balls 
were  cutting  into  the  water  all  about  him  savagely,  and 
the  captain  shouted,  "  For  God's  sake,  don't  kill  the  man  ! 
Don't  you  see  I'm  rounding  to  ?  " 

Keating,  who  had  been  almost  worn  out  from  the  Texas 
trip,  had  been  sleeping  in  a  bunk  below,  and  who  had  been 
roused  by  William's  firing  and  the  strange  motion  of  the 
schooner,  now  came  on  deck  rather  thinly  clad,  and  the  two 
detectives  covered  Taylor  with  their  revolvers ;  while  the 
captain,  himself  at  the  wheel,  handled  the  schooner  so  that 
it  was  only  necessary  for  him  to  keep  himself  above  water 
in  order  to  float  with  the  tide  against  the  side  of  the  boat, 
when  my  son,  rather  too  indignant  to  be  particularly  tender, 
grabbed  him  by  the  hair  and  his  luxuriant  whiskers,  drew 
him  aboard,  and  soundly  kicked  him  into  the  cabin,  where 


THE  HARD  LIFE  OF  THE  DETECTIVE.  287 

he  began  crying  from  excitement  and  fright,  even  going  to 
such  depths  of  discouragement  that  he  begged  for  a  revolver 
with  which  to  kill  himself,  which  being  handed  him  by  my 
son  for  that  purpose,  he  very  properly  refused,  and  was  put 
to  bed  for  the  purpose  of  drying  his  clothes,  like  a  truant 
school-boy. 

It  was  my  son's  intention  to  tak?  the  steamer  at  Indian- 
ola  for  Galveston  immediately  upon  arriving  at  the  former 
place ;  but  on  account  of  a  heavy  "  Norther,"  which  had 
blown  all  day  Friday,  the  steamer  had  been  obliged  to  put 
out  to  sea,  and  the  party  were  consequently  compelled  to 
put  up  at  the  Magnolia  House  and  wait  there  until  the  fol- 
lowing Monday  ;  and  it  required  all  the  detective's  shrewd- 
ness to  keep  Taylor  quiet,  as  he  had  learned  from  some 
source  that  the  creation  of  Wyoming  Territory,  which  oc- 
curred a,  short  time  before  his  capture,  h'ad  caused  Cheyenne 
to  be  a  city  of  quite  a  different  territory  than  when  the 
requisition  was  issued,  which  would  have  amounted  to  so 
grave  a  technical  flaw  that  the  requisition  would  not  have 
held  against  a  habeas  corpus. 

Court  had  just  set  at  the  place,  and  Indianola  was  full  of 
lawyers,  hungry  as  vultures  for  just  such  a  rich  case  ;  but  by 
constant  persuasions,  partial  promises  leading  to  a  hope,  at 
least,  that  a  compromise  might  be  effected  at  New  Orleans, 
and  dark  hints  of  irons,  and  that,  should  his  brother  come  on 
there  and  create  any  disturbance,  he  would  be  immediately 
arrested  as  accessory  both  before  and  after  the  crime ;  with 
constant  drives  out  into  the  country,  rambles  down  the  sea- 
shore, and  every  pretext  known  to  the  mind  of  tke  ingenious 


288  THE  HARD  LIFE   OF  THE  DETECTIVE. 

detective,  everything  was  managed  successfully  ,  a  receipt 
for  nearly  two  thousand  dollars  in  specie  secured  ;  the  turn- 
ing over  of  the  money  to  Taylor's  brother  stopped  ;  and 
Taylor  himself  taken  to  New  Orleans  without  an  attempt  at 
rescue ;  and  receiving  a  dispatch  there  from  me  to  the 
effect  that  a  compromise  could  not  be  for  a  moment  con- 
sidered, the  party  left"  that  city  Thursday,  February  4th, 
arriving  in  Cheyenne  six  days  later,  my  son  accounting  for 
his  prisoner  to  the  authorities  into  whose  hands  the  case 
then  passed,  the  last  being  seen  of  "  Harry  G.  Taylor,  the 
Man  from  Somewhere,"  being  behind  the  bars  of  the  guard- 
house at  Fort  Russell,  where  he  had  been  placed  for  safe- 
keeping previous  to  his  trial ; — and  I  have  related  these 
facts,  not  so  much  to  show  any  startling  phase  of  crime,  as 
to  give  the  public  a  single  illustration,  out  of  thousands 
upon  my  records,  of  how  men  must  overcome  every  known 
obstacle  while  leading  the  hard  life  of  the  detective. 


THE   END. 


